Desire Defying Destiny
by bex81385
Summary: Blair deals with the aftermath of her actions. Follows after 1x13 A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate. Spoilers: Everything up until then, after that all bets are off...
1. No One Likes A Moping Waldorf

Desire Defying Destiny

Pairing: Chuck/Blair

Spoilers: Everything up to "A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate" after that I'm clueless. Spoiler-free and happy that way.

Summary: Blair deals with the aftermath of her actions. Follows 1x13 A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate...

Chapter One: "No One Likes A Moping Waldorf."

The Van der Woodsen suite was almost as depressing as the Waldorf home. Serena and her optimistic happiness had always managed to make the impersonal suite seem so bright and warm that it felt more like a home and not a hotel room. It was clear that as her disposition went from happy to miserable-- so had the entire feel of the room. Not to mention, Chuck was surely fueling some of the misery the hotel suite held.

Serena had spent the entire day before with Blair, trying to coax her into leaving the room. When she was unsuccessful she came home clearly agitated and chastised Chuck for his role in Blair's downfall. As Serena yelled, Dan sat watching and waiting for a vindictive Chuck to start screaming. He knew Serena could take care of herself but he would be there, ready to jump in and defend her if it became necessary. He was shocked to see Chuck simply stand there and take the harsh tongue lashing before merely shutting the door in Serena's face.

Knowing Serena was no longer in the mood for a date, Dan agreed to meet her back at the suite for breakfast. When he arrived the next morning, he didn't see Chuck. It almost seemed as if he were hiding from Serena. Dan had to admit that if she had spoken to him the way she had to Chuck he would be hiding as well.

As Serena continued to pace in front of her breakfast, he realized he had never before seen her quite this worried. He was trying to be supportive, but at this point he wasn't sure he was helping. He didn't know Blair very well, and even though he had been able to help Blair the last time he had seen her break down, he didn't know what to do here. He was certain he wasn't the best person for Serena to go to for guidance. The only problem was he was sure the one person who could really help Blair was locked behind a door in the Van der Woodsen suite refusing to come out.

Serena was tired of watching her best friend mope. Especially since it was becoming more and more obvious she was moping over Chuck Bass. When Blair had finally admitted the things Chuck had said to her the week before, Serena literally saw red. She had hoped that screaming at Chuck when she got home would make her feel better, but it hadn't. It had the opposite effect, she officially felt worse.

"I can't take it anymore." she snapped suddenly ending her rant on Chuck and Blair. She sat down next to Dan and laid her head on his shoulder. "She's my best friend, and I keep trying, but I can't help her."

Dan sighed sadly and rubbed her back soothingly. He knew she was waiting for him to impart some wisdom, something that would fix everything but all he had to offer her was simplicity. "She'll get better. She just needs time Serena. You just have to give her time.**"  
**  
Serena looked at Dan closely. "Since when did you become an expert on Blair Waldorf?"

Dan smiled. "I'm not. I just think... it's only been a week Serena. She had her entire life ripped away from her. She's not as strong as you. She can't just say 'The hell with it' like you do."

"I know but..."

"You don't care what people think about you. She does. She always has."

Serena nodded. She knew Dan was right. "I just wish..." she trailed off. She knew it was useless to wish things were different because it wasn't going to make things better. Changing directions she asked, "Have you talked to Jenny?"

Dan sighed. "No. I don't know what's gotten into her."

Serena rolled her eyes. "I do," then at Dan's expectant look she supplied only one word... "Nate."

"Have you talked to him?" he asked curiously. From what he knew of the situation, Nate had no right to be acting the way he was. He knew that Serena had been keeping her distance out of respect for Blair's feelings, but that she was desperately waiting for a moment where she could really tell him what she thought.

Serena shook her head. "You mean since Gossip Girl spotted him holding hands with Jenny and strolling trough Central Park?... No." she answered bitterly.

Dan nodded. "I don't even know who she is anymore. I would have never thought her capable of doing what she did."

Serena shakes her head sadly. "Me either."

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Chuck still didn't understand why they had to move into the Van der Woodsen's suite when they had a perfectly good one where they were, but his dad looked happy and that was good enough for him. He had learned at a very early age that no one was happy if Bart Bass wasn't. He knew avoiding Blair would become more difficult now that he and his dad had moved into Serena's suite.

Thankfully, he was sure that Blair would insist Serena come over to her place so that she wouldn't have to be near him. She probably wouldn't come over to the new Van der Bass suite much at all. Still, Serena would eventually get her way. Then Blair would be there, at the suite in the same room as him and he didn't know what he was going to do. He figured there was no way he was going to win this one.

Knowing Serena, she wouldn't even have the decency to warn him. It would be her way of getting back at him for almost sending Blair off to Paris with her tail tucked between her legs.

Still, moving into the Van der Woodsen suit did have it's advantages.

If he had not moved in, he wouldn't be standing here around the corner stealthily eavesdropping on Serena and Brooklyn, as Blair dubbed him. Despite the things he had said to her that night in the bar, he couldn't help but worry about her.

Serena sounded so concerned the night before when she was screaming at him. She had wasted no time in reminding him just how vengeful and selfish she really thought he was. She had made sure to point out that Blair had made the right choice choosing Nate over him. Serena knew how to make it hurt, and she pulled no punches. He was sure he hadn't been able to mask the pain that jab had caused.

He had wanted to scream at her, remind her that Blair had caused all of this, but he didn't have it in him. She was yelling about Blair losing everything and ignoring the fact that so had he. For as long as he could remember, all he really had was Nate. It hadn't taken long for Blair to claim a spot of her own in his world, and eventually he had come to count on Serena, but when asked who his best friend was there had never been any question, the answer had always been Nate.

Now Nate wasn't talking to him, which had never happened before, and he had given up Blair. It was a feat that had been more difficult than he anticipated and left him just as miserable as she was. He was just better at hiding it. He had felt justified in what he had said to Blair. After all, she had cost him the only thing he ever really cared about.

Nevertheless, listening to Serena now, ranting over her breakfast, he felt like a jerk. It was barely after ten and already for the forty ninth time today, he wished he could just go to Blair and talk to her-- tell her how sorry he really was. He wanted to tell her he didn't mean it, that he simply wanted exactly what she wanted, for things to go back to normal. Even if he didn't know what normal meant anymore.

However, his temper and his pride had taken over and before he knew it, he was comparing her to his father's Arabian horse. He shuddered grimly recalling the look on her face as his words '_rode hard and put away wet_' repeated callously in his mind.

He hated listening to Serena's low-rent boyfriend spout of insight on Blair Waldorf as if having one meaningful conversation with her months ago was enough to make him "know" her. Not when he had more meaningful conversations with her than anyone, and he still wasn't sure he "knew" her.

Chuck knew Dan was wrong. She was stronger than Serena. She proved that by not getting on that helicopter and leaving for France. Blair was in no way weak. She was stronger than anyone ever gave her credit for.

His blood boiled when Jenny and Nate were mentioned. Serena had wasted no time departing with the knowledge that Jenny had been the one to tell Nate about him and Blair. He couldn't believe that Jenny had the nerve to traipse around town holding hands with Nate like she had done nothing wrong. Like she hadn't had to betray and scheme her way into his arms. He hated even more that when the picture of them in Central Park had surfaced on the Gossip Girl web page, his first thoughts were of Blair and how horrible she must feel about it.

He sighed sadly as he watched them go. Dan had run off to meet with Vanessa, a girl he knew simply because she had at one time possessed video proof of his affair with Blair. Serena had left to meet with Blair in yet another attempt to extricate her from her room. He could tell that when she left she held no actual hope that it would actually work.

Now that they were gone, he came out from his spot and sat numbly on the couch the two lovebirds had just vacated. He sighed as he realized that he had no plans for the day and settled back into his thoughts of Blair.

It occurred to Chuck that the thing that bothered him most was that Blair hadn't even lifted a finger in retaliation yet. Retaliation was something the princess did well. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't scared by the knowledge he was also on her list. When Blair Waldorf finally decided it was time to play, all hell was going to break loose. He had a feeling that little Jenny Humphrey would be the first to pay followed closely by himself.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

When Serena arrived at Blair's, she wasn't surprised when Dorota told her Blair was still upstairs. She headed up them quickly and didn't bother knocking when she got to Blair's bedroom door. After opening it and seeing Blair sprawled out on her bed, not sleeping but just laying there as if there was no reason to get up anymore, she was once again filled with hatred for Chuck.

She knew Blair knew she was there, even if Blair hadn't made a move to acknowledge her presence. "Blair?" she said softly. When she was offered nothing more than an upward glace in her direction, she tried again. "You want to go lunch?" She knew she had just come from breakfast; but, she hadn't really eaten and she was hungry.

"No." Blair said simply.

Serena moved across the room and sat on Blair's bed next to her. "Come on, B. You have to eat."

Blair shrugged. "Why?"

"Because you're skinny enough already." Serena pointed out.

Blair rolled over so that she was facing away from Serena and buried herself in her comforter. "Dorota will bring me something later." She said passively.

Serena sighed and yanked Blair's blanket down past her thighs. "Get up, get dressed, we're going to lunch."

Blair sat up and reached for her blanket prepared to pull it back over herself.

Serena reached out and still Blair's movements. "Blair, come on... it's just lunch." Serena pleaded.

Blair shook her head and threw her blanket back over her head. "I don't want to go, Serena."

Serena's stubbornness refused to give up. "Why not?" she demanded before yanking the covers off of her head again.

Blair shot her a glare filled with agitation. "Are you kidding me? I don't want to be gawked at like a circus freak today, like I have been for the last six."

"B, people are going to keep gawking as long as you keep hiding." Serena tried to reason.

"I'm not hiding." she said indignantly and replacing the blanket over her head once more

"You're hiding from me, right now." she snapped." And whether you want to admit it or not, you're hiding from everyone else too. And when you're not hiding you're moping. Nobody likes a moping Waldorf." she stressed trying to reach Blair through the blanket

"I'm not hiding and I'm not moping either. And even if I was, I'd have a right to. I was publicly humiliated." she snapped venomously from under the blanket  
"I know but..."

"But nothing, Serena."

"It's just lunch with me..."

"And Dan. With you and Dan right?" she said, "Because honestly, Serena, why would you think I'm up for being a third wheel?"

"No, just me. Dan has plans with Vanessa." Serena guaranteed.

Blair finally removed the covers on her own and sat up so that she could see Serena. "How can you be ok with that?" she asked inquisitively.

Serena shrugged. "I trust him. Dan is..."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it Brooklyn's loyal." she snapped bitterly. Nate had never been loyal, not once had he ever put her first. And as far as Chuck went, he was only loyal to himself. "But Vanessa..." she added looking down at her hands, her fingers anxiously fiddling with themselves.

"What about Vanessa?"

"I think we've all learned by now that boys and girls can not be friends." She said refusing to look back up and meet with Serena's eyes, "And if we hadn't, we should have."

Serena sat silently watching her friend. "That's not true..."

Blair nodded slowly still unable to meet Serena's eyes. "Just look at you and Nate. You were friends since kindergarten and he was in love with you the entire time. I was his girlfriend, but as far as he was concerned you, his friend, always came first."

"He loved you, Blair." She said reassuringly.

"Not nearly as much as he loved you." she said looking up and locking eyes with her only too look back down again when she saw pity in Serena's eyes. "And then as if that's not enough proof, there's me and Chuck. We've been friends for as long as I can remember and now...now we're nothing. Because we were stupid and we let our hormones and our... feelings get in the way. Girls can not be friends with boys. I'd nip this Vanessa thing in the bud now if I were you."

From the moment she had found out about Blair and Chuck, she has always assumed that the whole thing was purely physical. It wasn't until later that Serena realized she had been wrong. Even though Chuck was nothing more than a walking hormone he never would have risked Nate for something casual. Blair had obviously had feelings for Chuck, but it wasn't until this moment that Serena entertained the idea that those feelings might have been more serious that she had previous imagined them to be. She looked at Blair's face full of sadness and frowning and knew she had to ask her a serious question. "Are you in love with Chuck?"

Blair's eyes widened briefly, a flick of something she could only describe as terror ran through her body. She didn't want to talk about this. She wasn't in love with Chuck. She couldn't be. She refused to allow herself to feel those kinds of feelings when she was with him. Blair sighed tiredly before looking back up at Serena's expectant face. "If I agree to go to lunch, can we stop talking about this? Because honestly I will do anything other than talk about this any longer."

Acknowledging Blair's attempt to change the subject by giving in to what Serena had ultimately wanted to begin with, she nodded absently. Just because she dropped it now didn't mean she couldn't bring it back up later. Happy that Blair was finally going to leave the confines of her room, a place she hadn't left in six days, she smiled brightly. "Sure. Get dressed I'll meet you downstairs."

Blair nodded. "Fine."

Serena stood up and walked to the door. "Oh and do me a favor."

Blair sighed in exasperation. "What now, S?"

"Leave the moping upstairs." she said sweetly before leaving the room.

Blair reluctantly got out of bed and moved towards her closet. "I'm not moping." she said defensively to no one.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

**Spotted: B finally leaving her apartment with S after six days of exile. I'm sure she's hoping people will "Forgive and Forget"... Sorry B. You, of all people, should know that old adage doesn't apply to us Upper East Siders. Probably should have just stayed home. It's safer there. You know you love me. XOXO. Gossip Girl **


	2. He's Scum, I Know

Desire Defying Destiny

Pairing: Blair/Chuck

Spoilers: Everything up to "A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate" after that I'm clueless. Spoiler-free and happy that way.

Summary: Blair deals with the aftermath of her actions. Follows 1x13 A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate...

Chapter Two: "He's Scum, I Know."

Blair shot Serena the most evil glare she had in her repertoire when Serena led her into the Palace bar. "What are we doing here?" she hissed angrily "I can't believe you would bring me here Serena."

"I want a grilled cheese with truffle oil. This is the only place I know that makes them." she said carelessly "Besides, if you're seen here it will send out the impression that you're not hiding any longer. That this mess with Chuck and Nate isn't going to stop you from living your life."

Blair huffed angrily over to the bar and sat at it, Serena following behind her. She hadn't even ordered yet when a martini was sat in front of her.

"Did you order that?"

Blair shook her head. "No." she said before taking a sip of it. She smiled back at the bartender in thanks, knowing he knew what she wanted. She and Chuck had spent many meals here before Christmas.

"It's a bit early to be drinking isn't it?" Serena said disapprovingly.

"You brought me to a restaurant in Chuck's hotel. What did you really expect?" Blair snapped bitterly while checking to make sure he wasn't in sight. "Besides, you do remember me having to come pick you up from your bar crawl before Thanksgiving dinner last year right?"

The waiter came back and they ordered their food. They sat in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other. Serena watched as Blair looked at the entrance for the hundredth time since they sat down. She wished she had thought about asking Chuck where he was going to be this afternoon before her and Dan had left, if for no reason other than Blair's reassurance. Once their food came, they had a legitimate reason not to talk to each other which obviously pleased Blair but was driving Serena crazy. She watched Blair look up again while pushing her food around on her plate, none of it ever ending up in her mouth. "Are you hoping he shows up or praying he doesn't." she finally asked.

Blair scrunched her face in annoyance. "I don't know what you're talking about, S."

"You keep checking for him, Blair." Serena pointed out

"No I don't." she insisted quietly.

Serena sighed. "You miss him, B. And to be perfectly honest that really scares me." Serena admitted worriedly.

Blair sighed and looked down at her plate suddenly overcome with interest in her lunch. "I don't."

Serena shook her head and bit into her grilled cheese. "I don't understand his appeal."

Blair rolled her eyes before looking up at Serena. "That's because he hasn't any. Now can we please stop talking about this." she snapped "We're in public, Serena. The last thing I need is another anonymous tip to Gossip Girl."

Serena nodded. She knew Blair was paranoid after her latest scandal had ended up on Gossip Girl. "Fine." They sat in silence for no more than a minute before Serena couldn't take the silence any longer. "It's just... how do you expect to get Nate back if you're moping around about..."

"Serena!" Blair shrieked loudly, succeeding in drawing attention to them. "Three things: one, for the last time I am not moping around, two, I never said I wanted Nate back, and three, I said I don't want to talk about this!"

"Good, because it's Chuck Bass. He's the Upper East Side's very own man-whore extraordinaire. He's the vilest person we know. There are no redeemable qualities in that boy."  
"Watch it, S." Blair reprimanded unexpectedly. _Where did that come from, _she thought to herself.

Serena scoffed, a huff of indignation slipped past her lips. "What the hell was that?"

Blair propped her elbow up on the table and allowed her head to fall against her palm. Her eyes were wide in disbelief and her pulse was racing. This was not the place for this conversation. Despite the fact that she agreed with her, she couldn't help but think that Serena had no right to talk about him that way. "It's nothing." she insisted. _I'm just edgy, I was not defending Chuck Bass after what he said to me, _she tried rationalizing with herself.

"It is not nothing. You just defended Chuck! To me of all people!" Serena scolded, anger dripping from her expression.

"Serena..." Blair said aggravated. "I wanted to drop this, you wouldn't let me."

Serena threw the remainder of her sandwich down, her appetite now gone. "He tried to rape Jenny! Have you forgotten that?"

"He's scum, I know." She said passively. She hadn't forgotten it. The thought of him trying to force himself on anyone nauseated her. But he had changed. He wasn't that person anymore. Plus, she was having a hard time feeling sorry for Little Jenny Humphrey after she ruined everything by running her big mouth to Nate.

"He tried to force himself on me!" Serena added defensively.

"Maybe he thought he was allowed, given your history with men." she snapped cruelly.

"I can not believe you just said that to me." Serena hissed disgustedly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." she said remorsefully. All she had left was Serena, she couldn't afford to alienate her, too.

"You should be." She knew Blair was upset; but, she hadn't thought she would go there. She also knew Blair never apologized unless she meant it, and that the pain she had caused Blair by sleeping with Nate was still fiercely intense, so she decided to let it go.

"You're right, Chuck did both of those things, and I know just how heinous and reprehensible they really were. Chuck deserves no defense on those acts, and he's not getting any from me."

"No, he doesn't. Nothing he's done recently earns him the right to a defense. And that includes the way he spoke to you last week when you went to him. You were ready to hop a flight to Paris because of him, B. He's a jerk. He's a womanizer. He's barely even human."

Blair sighed as she heard the click of someone's camera phone go off. She knew she was going to end up on Gossip Girl now. _Fantastic._ "I don't need you to rattle off a list of his bad qualities. I'm not interested in him, not like that. This whole conversation is pointless." Blair snapped icily.

"It's not pointless if you miss him, B." Serena said calming down slightly

"I hurt him Serena!" she snapped determined to take the blame for her part in this. _Just last week she was telling me to stop acting like my life was a movie and fast forwarding through the bad parts like they never happened, now when I try to she won't let me._"I did a lot of damage here S. A lot of this is on me. _I_ chose Nate over him and he lashed out at _me_."

"Listen to yourself Blair! You're still defending him!"

"I started the whole thing. I initiated our entire "relationship" or whatever it was. Then I ran back to Nate the second I could."

"That doesn't give him the right to do what he did. He tipped off Gossip Girl."

"And you opened your mouth to Brooklyn letting his traitorous sister hear my secrets."

"I know I'm not blameless here, B," she relented, "but he ruined your reputation!"

"And I destroyed his friendship with Nate!" she yelled loudly.

"Blair..." Serena said softly. Everyone in the restaurant was watching them now.

Blair held up her hands in frustration. "Just stop Serena! I told you I didn't want to talk about Chuck! I made a mistake and it ruined all three of our lives."

"Your life isn't ruined, B." She said calmly trying to reassure and sooth her frazzled friend.

Blair shook her head. "Nate won't even talk to me."

"He just needs some time to cool down. He'll eventually see that you didn't do anything wrong."

"I slept with his best friend, Serena!" she said exasperated.

"And he slept with yours." Serena pointed out.

"Chuck won't even look at me." Blair added sadly.

Serena sighed as she noticed that Blair's tone and expression grew sadder at Chuck's avoidance than her belief that Nate hated her. "And that bothers you? That Chuck won't even look at you?"

"You don't understand."

"You're right. I don't. I don't understand why you're more upset about Chuck than Nate."

Blair opened her mouth to speak just as she saw Chuck get out of an open elevator door. Immediately she grabbed for her drink and drained it, trying to swallow down the lump in her throat. _I have to get out here.  
_  
Serena noticed Blair's eyes widen and turned to see what she had seen. Sighing when she saw Chuck, she turned back to Blair. She could see tears starting to form in Blair's eyes. "Why don't you talk to him." she suggested. Maybe the solution to this whole mess was as simple as getting them to talk to each other.

Blair shot her a look of disbelief. "Are you kidding?" She looked back over at Chuck just quick enough to see that he too had spotted her and watched him turn and head back into the elevator he had just exited. She shook her head. "See...he won't even get off the elevator. He's purposely avoiding me."

"B...He's just angry too. He just needs some time, like Nate does." she said echoing Dan's advice from earlier. She sincerely hoped he was right and that time would in fact heal all the wounds left by this disastrous triangle.

Blair shook her head. "I don't think so. I don't think it's that easy." she said before standing up suddenly.

"What are you doing?" Serena asked nervously. _Surely she wasn't getting up to follow after Chuck_ she thought to herself.

"Leaving. I want to go home." Blair said definitively.

Serena stood up too. "I'll go with you."

"No. The last person I want to be with right now is you. You should have never dragged me out here. This is your fault." she snapped before storming out the door and onto the busy streets of New York's Upper East Side.

Serena said back down silently and ordered another drink. She couldn't figure out how it had all went downhill so fast. Blair was right, she should have never taken her to the Palace. No more than five minutes after Blair had left her cell phone chimed with a new message.  
**  
Spotted: B fleeing the Palace after a heated argument with S. Wonder what, or who, they were arguing about. Sources say C and N. Better watch the attitude B. You're running out of people to turn to. You know you love me... XOXO... Gossip Girl...**


	3. You Broke Her Damn It, Now Fix Her

Title: Desire Defying Destiny (3/?)  
Author: bex81385  
Pairing: Blair/Chuck  
Rating: PG-13  
Word Count: 2573  
Spoilers: Everything up until 1x13 "The Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate" after that anything's game. I'm spoiler-free...  
Summary: Blair deals with the repercussions of her actions.

Chapter Three: "You Broke Her Damn It, Now Fix Her!"  
**  
Spotted: B standing outside the doors of Tiffany & CO. Looks like our fallen "queen" has a case of "The Mean Reds". Don't worry B... Like they say "Nothing very bad could happen to you there."  
**  
Of course she had been lying to Serena all morning. After storming out of the Palace still so angry at Serena she could scream, she hesitated outside the restaurant door for a brief moment before her feet began to move, acting solely on autopilot.

It hadn't taken her long to appear in front of Tiffany's, considering it was really only a few minutes away from the hotel restaurant. She stood outside the door of one of her very favorite places and sighed contentedly. The khaki colored brick-walled store soothed her even if she hated the coloring. She turned her gaze up above the doorway towards the man holding the larger than necessary clock on his shoulders and jealously related to him. She knew how unpleasant it was to have that much weight on her shoulders, and wished for once that she was merely stone like him. She didn't want to be capable to feel it crushing down upon her, pinning her beneath it all. Still, she relished in the feeling of being swallowed up by the massive door leading into a place she hoped would bring her an ounce of solace and clarity, even if for just a moment.

Pushing open the door, she smiled lightly at the gushing sound the wind made as it rushed out the door. Although she had long grown used to the many places in New York that most people would find extravagant, she was still immensely impressed with Tiffany's. The large, spacious room was surrounded by the beautifully lined wooden display cases filled with exquisite baubles. The sight of it all still made her breath catch in her throat. Never had she seen a place so beautiful. She smiled politely as a sales associate acknowledged her, but didn't approach her. She'd been here enough times for them to realize that Blair Waldorf would come to them if she wanted to be helped. She liked to look and take in the beauty without being pestered. Despite her love for the store, she browsed the cases half-heartedly lost in her thoughts.

She knew she was wallowing and moping around. She was tired of it but still maintained it was more than justified. She had lost her entire identity because of a momentary lapse of judgment. _No, I didn't lose it, it was taken away, _she thought sadly to herself.

Looking back she realized that, in most part thanks to Nate, her downfall had been inevitable. He'd been doing nothing since Serena came back but making her feel small and unworthy of the attention she'd grown accustomed to after Serena left for boarding school. He'd been inattentive, not that he'd really ever been attentive when Serena was gone either, and at times cold and distant. He hadn't even bothered to show up for her birthday. He wouldn't say he loved her, but had no problem parting with the sentiment in Serena's direction. He made it more than obvious that she would never measure up to his precious Serena. _Worse though, was the fact that __**I**__ let him, _she thought as she paused briefly to glance at an Elsa Peretti® brooch that she thought was lovely.

Chuck had seen her for who she was, not who he wished she'd be. He had never wanted her to be her best friend. All he'd wanted was for Blair to be herself, and that's exactly what he'd gotten. Blair was a schemer, she always had been, and at times when it had really bothered Nate, Chuck had never seen it as a negative thing. In fact, more than once he'd been her willing accomplice, ready to jump in and get dirty right alongside her. He was always ready to dive into the scandals with her and expose people for who they really where, if for no other reason than he cared about her.

She still felt chills run down her spine when she replayed the events from her birthday party. No one had ever looked at her the way Chuck did that night. No one had ever told her she was beautiful and actually meant it. It was obvious he'd meant it.

She supposed that's why Chuck's obvious avoidance and the way he'd spoken to her the week prior was still bothering her as severely as it was. She thought he was different, that he would always be there for her no matter what. She never intended for things to get as out of control as they did and she certainly never expected Chuck to abandon her after everyone else did too, regardless of what she had done to him.

Still, no matter what she had done, she was sure she didn't deserve the things he said to her. Yes, she had treated him horribly, worse than Nate had been treating her prior to their breakup, but to tell her that she was basically worthless was beyond cruel. She sniffed slightly feeling tears well up in her eyes and the memory of that night in the Gilt replayed in her head. She had never heard his voice so cold and calculated, or at least she had never heard it that way when it was pointed towards her. She'd never seen him so cruel. She hoped she never would again.

Tired of feeling sorry for herself once again, she shook her head trying to clear the fog that always settled in while thinking of him. Once she had resolved to stop thinking about him, she stopped and focused on the jewelry case in front of her, only to be met with a butterfly. The Jean Schlumberger butterfly. On first glance, she thought it was pretty. She liked the way the pink tourmaline stood out against the amethyst and the diamond. The thirty thousand dollar price tag didn't bother her a bit. What she hated about it, wasn't it's fault. She hated that it reminded her of Chuck.

She remembered telling him at her birthday party that he had to murder the butterflies he had developed. She sighed sadly. She had never meant to develop her own and now she wished he'd tell her how he did it so that she could murder hers.

Despite the connection to Chuck, or possibly because of the connection to Chuck, she was seriously considering purchasing the butterfly clip. She knew it was stupid to buy something that would so obviously upset her but she wanted it. Making up her mind to do so, she turned to call for an associate when her attention was pulled in a different direction. Laughter from the other side of the store caused her to glance in that direction and she quickly found herself wishing she hadn't.

On the other side of the room, she spotted a group of her old friends, including Kati and Is, but they weren't the ones that held her attention. That honor went specifically to Jenny Humphrey. Turning away from the clip, which was for the best considering her mother would have a fit when the bill came in and she didn't need another reminder of Chuck, she immediately stormed in their direction.

Kati and Is noticed her first. They had been Blair's friends for a long time and had been dead set against coming in here knowing this was "Blair's Spot" but once Hazel had gotten that text from Gossip Girl she demanded they go in and look around, and they'd agreed after a few minutes of persistent insistence. "Blair." Kati said once Blair was standing in front of them.

"What are you doing in here?" Blair seethed. She could literally feel her blood boiling. They were ruining her intentions for being here. She had come here to get away, to fend off her "mean reds", not invite them for a shopping trip.

"Does it matter?" Hazel snapped. "The last time I checked I could shop in Tiffany's if I pleased."

"This is my place." Blair said pissed that they had the nerve to be here.

Hazel nodded. "You're right, and there was a time when that would mean something, but that time has passed. I'll shop where ever I please and you won't stop me."

Blair watched despondently as all her old friends just stood there clearly backing Hazel. She turned her attention to Jenny and glared. "Shouldn't you be on the third floor?" She wanted desperately to say something regarding Jenny's picture with Nate on Gossip Girl but she refused to let them see she was concerned by it one bit.

"Excuse me?" Jenny snapped.

"That's where all the cheap stuff is. There's nothing down here for the likes of you. In fact, I'm sure that bracelet you're eyeing costs more than your entire loft is worth." she snarled before storming off. She turned around once more glancing in the direction of the butterfly clip before tears welled in her eyes. She exited the store hurriedly and didn't stop moving until she was safely around the block. For the first time since she could remember, Tiffany's had done nothing to expunge her "mean reds". In fact, if anything, it made them worse.  
**  
Spotted: B leaving Tiffany's in tears. What's the matter B, were they all out of dignity?  
**  
xoxoxoxoxoxo

It hadn't taken long for Serena to make her way back up the suite her family was now sharing with the Bass' after Blair was gone. Once she was through main door she wasted no time in seeking out Chuck. She found him laying on his bed, his iPod's ear buds placed snugly in his ears, his eyes closed listening to the music. She reached down knowing he didn't know she was there and yanked his ear buds right out.

"Hey!" he yelled before turning around to see it was Serena. "Oh, it's you."

"Yes, it's me." She snapped.

"What's up, Sis? Come back for round two?" he asked her unnecessarily. He had been expecting this since he'd seen Blair downstairs. He hadn't intended to simply turn back into the elevator when he saw her but the only other thing he wanted to do was go to her, and he wasn't about to let that happen. Afterwards when he got the text from who he now liked to call "the Gossip bitch," he had grabbed his iPod and tried to tune out the memories of Blair.

Serena smirked slyly before placing her hands on her hips in a menacing fashion. "Yes actually, I did."

Chuck stood up and reached for his scarf. "Well that's too bad, because I'm going out." he said after wrapping his scarf around his neck.

Serena reached out and grabbed the end of his scarf, a scarf she recognized as the one Blair had given him for Christmas even though they weren't getting along so well then, as he passed, effectively halting his movements. She smiled pleasantly as she heard the slight gagging noise slip from his lips.

"What the hell, Serena!" he literally choked out.

"You have to stop avoiding her," she said forcefully refusing to release his scarf.

Chuck shook his head. "I have to do no such thing," he snapped yanking his scarf out of her hands

Serena sighed annoyed. "Do you really have to be so stubborn?" she demanded.

Chuck paused appearing to think about the question for a moment before responding. "Yes." he replied. His lips twitched into an "almost smile," which was the most pleasant expression he'd made all day.

"Was this thing you had with Blair worth all this, Chuck?" she asked snidely. "So you had a crush and it ended badly. It's no reason to keep punishing her."

Chuck glared at her in a way he was sure made her uneasy. "You don't know what you're talking about." Whatever he and Blair had, it was more than a simple crush and he knew she knew that.

"Then explain it to me," she pressured. "Explain to me why whatever it is she did was worth all this."

Chuck started to tell her to 'Leave him the hell alone' when both of their phone's chimed. They both flipped open their phones, knowing they were going to be met with a text message from Gossip Girl.

Serena sighed as she was met with a picture of Blair crying outside of Tiffany's. She'd never seen Blair upset after a trip to Tiffany's. "Do you see what you did?" she snapped angrily.

Chuck looked up from his phone defensively. "What I did? I had nothing to do with that! I was here being strangled by you, remember?"

Serena closed her phone angrily and shoved it back in her pocket. "You broke her damn it, now fix her!"

Chuck shook his head. The fact that he was now more worried about Blair than before wasn't enough for him to give in, even if now was the sixty-third time today he wanted to call her. "Even if I could, I don't want to," he lied. "She made her bed, I guess she's just going to have to lie in it." He said before leaving the room.

Serena followed him hot on his heels. "Chuck!" she yelled.

Chuck turned around slowly. "Look Serena, I'm not responsible for Blair. If you want someone to fix her, you should go talk to Nate. That's who she wants anyway. Perfect Nate to put the perfect pieces back together so they can have the perfect loveless relationship." he said bitterly.

Serena look at him confused by the bitter tone in his voice.

Chuck sighed. "I can't be the one she turns to only when no one else will have her. I refuse to be that person." he told her truthfully. He knew she wanted to say something but she was cut off by the ringing of her phone. "That's the princess now and she's upset, you should probably talk to her." he said before leaving the suite.

Once he was in the elevator, he pulled his phone back out and glanced at the picture he'd just received. The picture of the weeping Waldorf taunted him. He hated seeing her this way. But he hated being used even more and he refused to let her do it to him again. He sighed and closed the phone again before dialing Nate. He knew he was going to get his voice mail, considering Nate wasn't taking his calls anymore than he was taking Blair's. Nate was making good on his promise to both of them. Once the voice mail picked up, he hung up.

Sighing once again he dialed Blair's number but found that he couldn't force himself to hit the call button. Berating himself for being a coward he angrily threw his phone against the elevator door. The loud crack as it shattered against the doors almost made him feel better.The doors opened almost instantly, as if the simple impact had been far more severe. He breezed out through the now open doors, not even bothering to pick up his shattered phone, with one word on his mind. _Scotch._  
**  
Spotted: C leaving the Palace elevator and heading straight for the bar. Left behind, his broken phone shattered on the elevator floor. Guess someone other than S doesn't like seeing B upset after all. You know you love me... XOXO... Gossip Girl...**

**AN: Want to see the butterfly clip Blair was ogling? There's a link in my profile. It's really pretty...**


	4. I Didn't Betray You

Title: Desire Defying Destiny (4?)  
Author: Bex81385  
Pairing: Chuck/Blair  
Rating: PG13  
Word Count: 2875  
Spoilers: Everything up to "A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate" happened, anything after that is purely coincidental. I'm spoiler free and happy that way.  
Summary: Blair and Chuck deal with the aftermath of their actions in "A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate."

Chapter Four: "I Didn't Betray You"

It was in instant Nate mused. He'd reached out to pull her from the path of a kamikaze bike messenger, his fingers firmly wrapped around her hand. Central Park was crowded so he'd allowed his hand to stay, holding onto hers, just long enough to prove to himself he didn't need Blair Waldorf. Once he saw the blush on Jenny's cheeks, he released her. Giving Jenny the wrong idea wasn't part of his game plan.

He was surprised, although he didn't know why, when the picture of him holding Jenny's hand showed up in every inbox on the Upper East Side, and on the Gossip Girl website. It was his own fault, he knew that. The same reason he had allowed the hand holding to occur was the same reason he was caught doing it.

The first time he saw the picture he smiled and hoped that Blair had seen it and was upset. It was only fair, given how upset he was when he found out about her and Chuck. He knew Gossip Girl's blurb alone would be enough to make Blair's blood boil, and for an instant he was pleased with the invasion of privacy.

The second time he saw the picture; however, he thought of Jenny. He scolded himself for allowing his first thoughts to be of Blair and not of Jenny and her feelings. He knew that she and Blair were no longer friends, although he guessed they never really were even from the start, but he was worried that Blair would see the picture as a declaration of war.  
He had immediately called Jenny and once he was reassured that Blair hadn't uttered a peep about the picture to anyone, not even Serena according to Dan, he told her he'd call her later and hung up. His thoughts led straight back to Blair.

He couldn't believe that she hadn't said a thing about him holding another girl's hand in public. She, who claimed she was deeply in love with him, didn't care at all. No longer had he been pleased with Gossip Girl's informants.

Now, days later, he was still livid that she didn't care. If that wasn't bad enough, he knew, thanks again to Gossip Girl, that she was in fact moping around the city. It just had nothing to do with him. It was all about Chuck, his ex-best friend.

He flopped down on his bed, turned his iPod on and tried to drown out his thoughts. He was finding that task more taxing than he'd anticipated. There were just too many things he had on his mind. His father's trip to rehab should have taken precedence but no, no matter what, his thoughts always inevitably led back to Blair and Chuck.

He couldn't fathom how two of the most important people in his life could betray him they way they had. Blair was almost understandable, he hadn't been the perfect boyfriend in a long time, but Chuck was a different story.

Chuck knew _everything_. Chuck had been the one who talked Nate into refusing to get back together with Blair when his parents wanted him to. Chuck had been the one who talked Nate out of giving Blair the engagement ring. Chuck had been the one who manipulated the situation and let Nate attack Carter, ruining Blair's cotillion. And when Nate decided he really did want Blair back, Chuck knew that too. Chuck knew and instead of doing the honorable thing and backing off, he made sure that all Blair could see was Nate failing to meet up to her expectations.

That was at least until the night of cotillion. Nate smiled to himself as the memory of that night came back to him. Even with all the behind-the-scenes information and plotting Chuck had available to himself, even after Nate had been asked to leave, he still hadn't been able to hold onto Blair. She still went running back to _him._ Plus, the pained face Chuck was making as Chuck watched him pull Blair through a door, her lips attached to his neck, didn't hurt either.

However, his smile was brief and quickly melted into a scowl when he remembered the rest of the night. It hadn't occurred to him that night, looking back now it was obvious, that she wasn't a virgin any longer. It had never crossed his mind that she had been sleeping with anyone else, let alone his best friend.

He remembered the way he reassured her he wouldn't hurt her, the delicate way he'd touched her trying to keep that promise. He told her over and over again that night that he loved her, whether the words were whispered in hushed, ecstasy-filled tones or quietly in her ear as she drifted off to sleep afterwards. That was the way he wanted to remember his first time with Blair.

Now, he couldn't do anything but remember the way she moved, expertly, and not as if it was her first time. He couldn't help but remember the way her face didn't indicate an ounce of pain throughout the entire experience.

He was pulled from his thoughts by his ringing phone. He had never been more grateful for a phone to ring until he looked at the caller id. _Chuck._ He hit the ignore button on his cell and turned his iPod up louder. Chuck really needed to stop calling him. He was in no way ready to talk to him again, and he doubted he would be for a long while. He ignored his phone as it alerted him to a new text message and got up. He needed to get out of his house and do something, anything to take his mind off of Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass. He grabbed his phone bypassing the option to enter his inbox and dialed a number he was quickly becoming familiar with. "Hey, are you busy?" he asked when the other end was picked up. "Great, you want to meet me... about half an hour sounds fine... I'll see you there."

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Despite his advice to Serena, Dan was beginning to think Blair wasn't going to fine with time. For the last hour, he had been walking around his father's gallery with Vanessa, and she'd been talking the entire time. He could see her lips moving but he had no clue what she was talking about, he was too lost in his own thoughts.

It hadn't taken too long after he started seeing Serena for him to realize that whatever affected Blair affected Serena. When Blair was upset, Serena was too. It was just one more thing he loved about Serena.

"Are you even listening to me?" Vanessa snapped angrily, ripping Dan out of his thoughts

"I'm sorry." He apologized genuinely sorry. "What were we talking about?"

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "I was talking about this piece your mom painted last month, _you,_ however, were spaced out. What's the deal Dan? You've been a total zombie since you got that text message about Blair."

Dan sighed. He knew Vanessa wasn't Blair's biggest fan, and honestly he understood why, but Blair was Serena's best friend and if he was really honest with himself, he had a soft spot for her as well. "I'm just worried about her." he admitted.

Vanessa sighed. "I don't understand why. It's Blair Waldorf, even when she's the least popular girl in school, she's still a Waldorf. She'll pull though and be right back on top."

Dan shook his head. "I don't think it's that easy."

Vanessa shrugged. "Sure it is."

Dan looked at her shocked. "You don't understand, my little sister played an instrumental role in bringing Blair down."

"And Jenny should feel responsible for it, not you." Vanessa pointed out tersely. She could really care less about Blair Waldorf's feelings. She'd gotten herself into this mess. She'd already helped Blair hide her affair once, she couldn't help but think this was one secret that was meant to be exposed.

Dan nodded. "She should, but she doesn't. She's pod Jenny."

Vanessa sighed. "I'm supposed to have dinner with her tonight, I'll talk to her, try and knock some sense into..." she started only to interrupted by the chime of her cell phone. "Text message." she said to Dan before opening it. _'Can't make dinner... sorry... something came up. -J'_ Vanessa sighed and closed the phone. "Apparently I'm not having dinner with Jenny. Something came up."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Understandable, her clone friends probably want her to go somewhere way out of her price range or it has to do with Nate."

"Dan..."

Dan sighed. "Like I said, she's pod Jenny." he said grumpily before pulling Vanessa out of the gallery. "Let's go get something to eat."

xoxoxoxoxoxo

It was well into the night before Jenny came home and Dan was beyond angry. Jenny had never been this flaky until she started hanging out with those girls. When she had plans she kept them, never once could he remember Jenny blowing someone off for a different person. It hadn't helped matters that when Serena had finally called him, she'd informed him that she was spending her evening with Blair, who was practically mute since her encounter with Jenny and Co. in Tiffany's. By the time she finally walked in the loft, well after midnight, he'd had time to let his annoyance grow into something he rarely experienced with Jenny. He was furious.

"Where have you been Jenny?" He'd been sitting on the couch for the last two hours waiting on her. She was lucky their dad was on a date because it was a school night and it was past her curfew. This was another thing Jenny hadn't done until now.

Jenny shrugged. "Out with a friend, _Dad_."

"Which friend?" he asked even though he already knew the answer. He'd already seen the picture of Nate and Jenny in some restaurant on Gossip Girl.

Jenny sighed. "Nate."

Dan rolled his eyes and stood up to walk towards her. "This thing with Blair really doesn't bother you a bit does it?" He didn't know when his sweet and innocent sister had turned into the kind of person he hated.

Jenny rolled her eyes and walked briskly into the kitchen. She pulled out a carton of juice and poured herself a glass before turning her attention to Dan. "Why would it?"

"The only reason Nate is anywhere near you right now is because you told him about Blair. Now, I know she used you, but you used to care about her. It was your rash action that led to this..."

"You know Dan, I understand Serena being worried about Blair, but not you." she interrupted, "I mean she's not really your friend. Blair Waldorf only cares about herself." Jenny snapped coolly then sipped her juice.

"Is that what you've told yourself Jenny? That Blair deserved it because she's a bitch with no real feelings? Does that make what you did to her easier to stomach?"

Jenny glared over her orange juice. "What I did? What about what she did? She treated me horribly."

"You let her. You let them all walk all over you and you didn't say a word." Dan pointed out. "And what you did..."

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Jenny yelled before slamming her glass down on the counter, "It's not like I lied."

Dan sighed disapprovingly. "Come on Jen, you're smarter than this!" he barked angrily "You don't actually think you helped anyone by repeating what you eavesdropped on, do you?"

"I helped Nate! He deserved to know the truth!"

Dan shook his head. "No Jenny, you didn't help him. You think that because you walked through Central Park and he held your hand, or because he took you to dinner at some fancy restaurant that he's all better now. You're not a magic band-aid. You cost him his best friend..."

"Some best friend Chuck is." she huffed, "He slept with Blair!"

"While her and Nate were broken up. Never once while he was with her. Nate has no right to be as angry with Blair and Chuck as he is. Especially considering what he did with Serena, while he was actually dating Blair."  
Jenny rolled her eyes.

"And you cost him his girlfriend." Dan continued, "They were together now and they were fine, the past finally behind them. Both of them were ready to move on."

"Oh please..."

"They've been together since kindergarten! You're not going to replace her, Jenny!"

Jenny cut her eyes angrily at Dan. "Excuse me?"

"You may have all those girls on the steps of the Met fooled, but you're not Blair Waldorf. You're never going to be Blair Waldorf. The sooner you realize that the better, because I don't like this girl you're turning into. She's cruel and vindictive." Dan snapped before turning on his heel and going to bed, slamming his door behind him.

Jenny sighed sadly and put her glass in the sink before doing the same.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Of all the people Nate expected to see sitting on his couch when he got back from dropping Jenny off, Chuck wasn't one of them. "What are you doing here?" he sniped.

"Your mom let me in." Chuck answered.

Nate rolled his eyes. "Do you and your girlfriend both have the same defect or something?" he snapped, "I didn't ask how you got in, I asked what you were doing here," he said echoing the same answer he'd given Blair a week ago.

Chuck sighed. "You won't take my calls. You won't return my texts. I wanted to talk to you. Showing up here seemed like the only way."

Nate shrugged. "I don't care. Please leave."

Chuck shook his head. "You don't just get to kick me out of your life. We've been friends since kindergarten, Nathaniel." Chuck pleaded, realizing that maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.

"Which only makes your betrayal hurt worse."

"I didn't betray you!" Chuck yelled "You weren't with her!"

"You knew I wanted her back!" Nate yelled back.

Chuck ran a hand through his hair angrily. "No, you didn't. At least not when it all started. You were only taking her back because your parents were forcing you to. She deserved better than that!"

"Defending Blair is not helping your cause here, Chuck." Nate pointed out spitefully, "As far as deserving better, do you really think you were better for her than I was. She loves me, not you."

"And you love Serena!"

"No..."

"You do, you love Serena, not Blair! She deserved someone who didn't want her to be Serena." Chuck snapped "And she knew it. You made her feel inadequate. She couldn't be comfortable in her own skin because of you!" Despite everything he was trying to accomplish here in gaining Nate back, he couldn't help but defend Blair. "But none of that matters anymore, Nathaniel. I gave her up, I'm not with her, I'm not going to be with her. You're too important to me..."

"But I wasn't important enough to you when you were sleeping with my girlfriend!" Nate shouted.

"She wasn't your girlfriend!" Chuck demanded "When Blair and I started this thing she was single, and she was hurting. We were both confused by what we were feeling."

"Feeling?" Nate snapped skeptically, "How were _you_ confused by what _you_ were feeling? You have no feelings!"

"Nathaniel..." Chuck said softly. He couldn't believe that his best friend was talking to him the way he was.

"Get out Chuck. I told you already, you and me, we're done. I want nothing more to do with you, or Blair. So really, if you're holding back on my account don't bother. It won't score you any points."

"Nathaniel..." Chuck tried again

"But before you run off to Blair, your heart in your hand, you should know that the day I found out, she came to me. She begged me to take her back. She called you a mistake. She told me she loved me. But I don't know, I've made it perfectly clear I'm not taking her back, so she might just have you again. At least until someone better comes along, and honestly Chuck, who isn't better than you." Nate said cruelly. "I'm going to bed, show yourself out." He added coolly before heading up the stairs leaving Chuck behind.

Chuck stood, unable to move from his spot in the living room. He watched Nate walk up the stairs and didn't turn away until he was out of eyesight. He'd never known Nate to be so cold and calculated. He finally moved towards the door and left the Archibald house. For the first time since Chuck could remember, he left hating Nate.  
**  
Spotted: C leaving N's house late in the PM... or more accurately early in the AM... looking despondent and even a tad bit angry. What's the matter C? Didn't get what you came for? Don't worry. N's spending so much time with J now, maybe he'll forget all about that mess with B and you can go back to being BFF's. Then again, if the look on your face is any indication, maybe you shouldn't hold your breath. You know you love me... XOXO... Gossip Girl...**


	5. You Didn't Swat Me, B!

Chapter Five: "You Didn't Swat Me, B!"

Blair woke up early Monday morning determined to get through her first day back since her very public dethronement, without tears. After her altercation in Tiffany's, it had taken Blair until almost midnight to convince Serena she was fine. Of course, that could have something to do with the fact that she had barely said a word all evening. She'd called Serena in a moment of weakness, and had regretted it almost the instant she hung up her phone. Serena had spent the rest of the evening trying to reassure Blair that it would all be ok. Serena didn't seem to understand that as far as Blair was concerned, they were just words. Things weren't going to be ok for quite some time.

Even though she wasn't anywhere close to being ok with her newfound lack of popularity and respect, Blair was ready to stop wallowing. She'd been sulking for a week and it hadn't gotten her anywhere. She still felt responsible for the destruction three core relationships in her life. She was no closer to be able to fix things between her and Nate, or her and Chuck, or Nate and Chuck. She was no closer to being happy with losing Nate and Chuck.

Despite waking up earlier than usual, she was still lying in her bed trying to convince herself to get up. She knew what she wanted to accomplish throughout the day, she just had to get up and face the world. She inhaled a deep breath, sucking in the last drop of security her room held before exhaling slowly and climbing out of bed. She made her way over to her closet and decided that if she was going to get through the day, she would have to treat it as if it were just any regular day. Which meant dressing the same as always; to impress anyone who was looking, even if she didn't think she'd be impressing anyone anymore.

She dressed quickly and plucked her favorite headband off her vanity. Placing it in her hair perfectly she looked over herself closely. She pushed Chuck's voice out of her head, _"When you were beautiful..."_ and smiled delicately. She wasn't about to let him or his cruel words dampen her mood any further. She grabbed her bag, mentally reminding herself that a new one might make her feel better, and headed down the stairs.

She casually brushed aside Dorota's desire to make sure she ate something, citing that she was running late to meet Serena for breakfast. Before Dorota could reply, she was out the door.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Jenny knew Nate didn't care about her the way he did Blair. She wasn't as naive as Dan seemed to think she was, but there was no way that she was going to turn Nate away. Despite all of Dan's worrying about Blair, and Serena's about Blair and Chuck, no one was worrying about Nate--no one except her. She had lied to Dan the night before when she said the whole "Blair thing" wasn't bothering her. He was right when he said she had cost Nate everything. If she hadn't said anything, Gossip Girl's claim would have eventually blown over and everything would go back to normal.

Except, Blair and Chuck would still be lying to Nate, Blair would still be cowering in fear of the moment Chuck blew the whole thing, and Chuck would still be miserably watching his best friend with Blair. Not that Jenny cared about any of them, other than Nate. Blair and Chuck had created this mess all by themselves, if they were both miserable it was their own fault. Jenny wouldn't even begin to pretend they didn't deserve the unhappiness and the misery they'd brought on themselves.

The fact that she had really done nothing wrong seemed lost on Dan. He chastised her for changing, evolving into the person she was becoming, but it never occurred to him that he too had been doing the same thing. Ever since he'd started dating Serena, he'd been spending less time with his family and his friends, including Vanessa. He'd even planned to lie to Headmistress Kweller to protect Serena from expulsion, while risking his own scholarship.

He'd become someone she didn't recognize on more than one occasion. Including defending Chuck, who had tried to rape her at the beginning of the year. The old Dan would have never done that. The old Dan would have never spoken to her the way he did the night before, especially while defending Blair Waldorf.

Jenny knew she wasn't up for round two with Dan before school. She resolved to get to school early so she could avoid Dan. School would be better for Jenny from now on, she knew that. It hadn't taken much for Jenny to turn loyal to Hazel. Hazel had made it perfectly clear that she would be the person coveting Blair's spot on the Met steps, and Hazel also made it clear that she intended to keep Jenny around, which was something Blair never once did. Dan would never approach her while she was with them. _Besides, Nate's been getting there early, so I can always spend time with him_ she thought happily while practically skipping out her front door.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Chuck had barely slept the night before. He knew Serena was with Blair, so when midnight rolled around and Serena still wasn't home yet, he briefly allowed himself to grow concerned. Then he remembered his fight with Nate, and Blair stomping all over his heart and pushed the concern away.

Blair Waldorf seemed to be the cause of all his problems, including the broken cell phone he had to replace. She should have never shown up to Victrola alone that night. She should have never called his bluff and gotten up on that stage, and she certainly should have never scooted closer to him in the back of his limo and allowed him to act on his feelings. Worst of all, she should have never allowed him to continue acting on his feelings, knowing the entire time that she was going to run back to Nate the second he'd have her again.

Once his anger at Blair surpassed his concern for Blair, he allowed himself to fall into a fitful sleep, and when he'd awakened Monday morning he resolved to try one last time with Nate. His friendship with Nate had to be more important than what he'd felt, still felt, for Blair. No matter how worried he'd been over the course of the last week, he couldn't afford to let Blair be his main concern any longer. If he wanted something close to the friendship he'd had with Nate, he had to push Blair far out his mind.

He knew Nate was avoiding him. That was the only logical reason he could come up with for Nate being at school so early. Nate hated that place just as much as Chuck did. Still, not many people arrived early and Chuck knew that if he wanted any alone time to talk to Nate he'd have to get there early as well.

Chuck sighed and got ready for school. He reached for his scarf and paused. Blair had given him the scarf he'd been wearing since Christmas. He remembered smiling as he pulled it out of the box Blair had sent. He hadn't expected it considering he'd been in Monaco, and hadn't wasted any time rubbing it in Blair's face that Nate was with him. Nevertheless. Christmas Eve had rolled around and a package for him had been delivered. He remembered Nate's curious glance as he immediately pulled the scarf he'd been wearing and replaced it with the new one.

Sighing he picked up a different scarf and wrapped it around his neck. If he was going to put her behind him, he couldn't keep wearing the scarf. Even if it was his favorite, it was still a piece of Blair, and he wouldn't get Nate back if he was still holding on to Blair.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Nate dressed for school quickly. He had about twenty minutes before he had to meet Jenny. He'd been surprised to get the call from her so early in the morning, but she'd sounded distraught. He knew she'd been grumbling with Dan and she was the only friend he had left who he knew wouldn't betray him. So, he'd wasted no time agreeing to meet with her. Besides, there were benefits to getting to school early. The main one being he didn't have to deal with Chuck.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

It was a case of perfect timing that allowed Jenny and Blair to both appear in front of the Met at the exact same time. Jenny had paused, frozen in place the moment she saw Blair, but Blair had kept on walking not once letting her gaze fall from Jenny's. Blair could tell by the way Jenny reacted when she saw her, refusing to move even an inch that Jenny was very much still scared of her. Blair smirked inwardly, _Seems like little J's smarter than I thought_ she mused to herself.

Jenny's plan to arrive early and spend time with Nate didn't include Blair showing up and ruining everything. She had visions of Nate smiling at her, talking to her in his gentle but playful way, and tugging on a stray strand of her blonde locks, while reassuring her that Dan was wrong about everything. Although they might have been unrealistic ideals, they certainly didn't include Blair Waldorf.

She hadn't meant to stop when she saw Blair. She'd been doing it for so long now it was nearly instinctual. Now that she didn't have to work so hard to impress her, Jenny wasn't sure how to act around Blair. The moment she locked eyes with Blair, she was trapped in a staring contest. Unwilling to be the first to look away, she was frozen in place unable to do anything but stare, no matter how uncomfortable she was.

Blair had prepared herself for a moment like this. She just hadn't anticipated that it would be Jenny on the other end of her glare. She'd actually expected it to be Nate. She knew it wouldn't be Chuck, he was far too busy avoiding her. Although given that Jenny's picture was plastered all over Gossip Girl with Nate, she supposed it was rather naive not to even consider it would have been Jenny. Blair hated being naive.

If Jenny thought she was going to be the one to take Blair down, armed solely with a glare, she had another thought coming. Blair might have had a bad week before but this was a new week. She wasn't going to let Jenny dissolve all the resolve she had built this morning. She smiled widely when Jenny finally looked down sheepishly.

Jenny sighed inwardly as she gave in and broke eye contact. She kept hearing Dan's voice in her head. She knew he was right. She would never replace Blair, not in the clique she'd fought so hard to get into, and she certainly wasn't going to replace Blair in Nate's heart. That thought alone angered her enough to snap her head back up, reuniting her eyes back with Blair just in time to see Blair start to ascend the staircase, headed for her coveted spot on the Met steps. "I thought we'd made it perfectly clear you weren't welcome there anymore." Jenny snapped effectively halting Blair's movements.

Blair turned and glared at Jenny, shocked she'd even said a word. "And I thought I'd made it clear that _you_ don't warrant _my_ attention. You don't even exist to me. You're just some bug that buzzed around my ear until it had to be swatted."

Jenny laughed nervously. "You didn't swat me, B."

Blair shrugged. "Come closer, maybe I will." she snapped menacingly.

xoxoxoxoxoxo  
**  
Spotted: B and Little J conversing on the Met steps, although it certainly doesn't look friendly. Clearly B resents Little J's new social standing. Is B's backbone coming back or is she merely moments away from shriveling under Little J's command? Only time with tell, and when it does, you can bet I'll be the first to know.  
**  
Chuck rolled his eyes at the text message. It was far too early for Gossip Girl, and way too early to be thinking of Blair, again. Still, he knew that ultimately despite what she had done to hurt him, she was hurting much worse; and, it was mostly his fault. Groaning at the fact that he was once again thinking about Blair on a day he'd swore to put her out of his life once and for all, he looked anxiously out the window of his limo and looked for Nate.

He'd been waiting patiently for about ten minutes for Nate to show up, but was quickly growing bored. He opened the text message back up, again filled with unwanted concern. He knew that Blair could hold her own against Jenny, but the hint of a cat fight between the two seemed too good to pass up. He told himself that he was just going to watch, maybe even dig up his own dirt to take Jenny down. She had, after all, destroyed his friendship with Nate. He quickly climbed out of his limo and headed towards the Met.

Besides, all the eavesdropping he'd been doing since his family had moved into Serena's suite had trained him well for this moment. Blair never even needed to know he was there.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Jenny's eyes widened in fear momentarily, but then she shoved the look off her face. There was no way she was going to let Blair Waldorf know she was still scared of her. "Is that a threat?" she asked, the strength of her voice a direct contrast to the uneasiness she felt.

Blair smiled a sweet but clearly dangerous smile. "Why don't you try me and find out, Little Jenny."

Jenny smiled menacingly as Blair gave her an opening she could use. "Wasn't that the problem, B? Too many people had _tried_ you?" she asked cruelly.

Blair's calm facade fell, and she knew that it was obvious. She looked down at the ground for the first time since she'd seen Jenny and tried to regain her composure.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

By the time Chuck had found a place to watch from the sidelines as the ex-queen and her wannabe protégée squared off, it was obvious to him that Blair wasn't faring as well as he'd or she'd hoped. It only made him despise Jenny Humphrey more.

He'd spent years being Blair's friend, accumulating knowledge about her. He knew almost every emotion she was feeling by the look on her face, and right now she was looking down at the ground while wearing her rarest face, the face that showed she was ashamed. Not many people had seen her make that face. She was rarely ashamed of anything she did and he couldn't figure out why Blair thought she had a thing to be ashamed about now.

Despite what anyone said, they hadn't done anything wrong.

Chuck sighed and started to leave. He admitted to himself that he didn't need to witness to this moment, knowing it would only end up hurting him. However, as he ordered his feet to move while begging them to comply, his attention was pulled back in their direction when he heard Blair speak. He saw her put her brave face back on, and momentarily wondered if Nate knew the difference between her faces like he did. He sighed and shook his head, _no good can come of those thoughts_. Then as if he couldn't force his mind to listen to him, he decided it was far more likely that Nate knew Serena's faces and was completely oblivious to all things Blair.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Nate had been near the Met when he had gotten the text message from Gossip Girl about Blair and Jenny. He quickened his pace, determined to help Jenny if Blair got out of control. _And if it bothers Blair just the slightest bit, then that's a plus_ he thought to himself as the two girls came into his line of sight.

He wasn't surprised to find a small crowd beginning to hang around at a respectable distance but still close enough to listen to the two girls argue. It was the Upper East Side and there was nothing people here loved more than gossip. It was the main reason Gossip Girl was such a phenomenon. What did surprise him, however, was that out of the corner of his eye, he could see Chuck sulking in the background watching Blair and Jenny. _I guess swearing off Blair didn't last very long at all,_ he thought bitterly before moving over toward the girls.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"You're right Jenny, that must have been my problem." she snapped snidely. "Because it certainly couldn't have been that you sold me out to Nate every single time I told you anything. It couldn't have been that you were so much in, love or lust or whatever it is you're in with Nate, that you told him about Chuck, no matter how much you knew it was going to hurt him."

Jenny scoffed. "If you really cared about Nate, you would have never slept with Chuck," she replied.

"Don't you dare question how I felt about Nate."

"Oh, by the way B, I was curious about something. If you had been pregnant would you have even known who the father was?" Jenny added viciously.

Before she could stop it Blair's mouth fell open, a small gasp slipping through her lips. She couldn't believe that little Jenny Humphrey was capable of such a low blow.

Jenny shrugged. "I can see how it would be a problem. I mean honestly either way you'd be losing right B? If the baby had been Nate's, you'd be having a baby with someone who never even really loved you."

Blair still didn't say anything. She was still in shock.

Jenny smiled at Blair's reaction and went in for the kill. "Then again, I guess that's better than having a baby with a date rapist..."

"You shut your stupid little mouth." Blair demanded slowly through gritted teeth. Her eyes were filling with tears and the day hadn't even really started yet. There was no way she was going to let Jenny talk about her that way. There was no way she was going to let her talk about Chuck that way. That wasn't who he was with her, it hadn't been who he was for a while now.

Jenny shrugged then smiled discreetly when she saw Nate walk up behind Blair, "Funny, you didn't even react when I mentioned Nate; but the second I insult Chuck, you look like you're ready to claw my eyes out."

Blair glared at Jenny and started to open her mouth when she heard Nate's voice from behind her.

"You know, Blair, Jenny makes a valid point." Nate said before walking over to stand next to Jenny

Blair had no idea how long he had been standing there. She had been so blinded with anger towards Jenny she hadn't noticed the sound of his footsteps as he'd walked over to them. She had no idea what to say. The only thought that was coming to her was that Nate was standing in front of her and for the first time in her life she knew exactly where Nate stood, and it wasn't beside her.

Nate shrugged. Blair's silence didn't surprise him a bit. "You know for someone who swears she loves me, you sure didn't waste any time jumping into bed with my best friend."

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Chuck had to admit that he was just as surprised as Blair was when Jenny mentioned the pregnancy scare. He didn't know the little street urchin had it in her. Then again, Blair had practically been training her as her successor, so it would make sense that she'd grown a backbone somewhere along the line.

What had really surprised him was something he wasn't even sure Blair had noticed until Jenny mentioned it. Blair hadn't said a word when Jenny said Nate didn't love her; but, the second Jenny opened her mouth about him, Blair was quick to shut her down.

His breath had caught in his throat when he saw the fierce and protective look on Blair's face when she'd told Jenny to shut up. She'd just defended him, even if she hadn't meant it that way, and suddenly the butterflies he was supposed to murder were fluttering at full force. He knew it wasn't going to be easy to rid himself of her, he didn't understand why she had to keep making it more difficult.

He could tell Blair hadn't noticed Nate walk up behind her. In fact, and he didn't know how he'd managed it, he hadn't noticed Nate until he spoke either. He'd been too preoccupied looking at Blair; too busy being stunned by her defense. Chuck groaned inwardly when he noticed Nate looking at him. He was unsure if it was the first time he'd noticed him since he walked over, but he knew from the look on Nate's face that his attempt the night before had been the last chance he'd had.

Now Nate was just mad, and there was no chance of Chuck getting his friend back now. Especially since he'd just been caught watching Blair, the very person he'd sworn to Nate he'd given up. Once again, he was screwed for caring about Blair.

He heard Nate's comment about the two of them sleeping together and sighed as he awaited Blair's response. He could tell she was trying to put her brave face back on. It didn't appear to be going as well as she'd hoped. He hoped she'd defend their time together, but didn't hold much faith in it. She'd been working her hardest to convince Nate that she thoroughly regretted ever moment she spent with Chuck. Finally he heard Blair's response.  
_  
_"Nate..." Blair said softly._  
_  
Chuck sighed at the softness in her voice. She was trying to appease him. She wanted Nate to forgive herand that didn't sit well on Chuck's stomach. He wanted to walk away, leave this mess behind him and forget that this morning ever happened but he couldn't will his feet to move anymore than he could earlier.

Nate however, didn't care how soft her voice was, or how apologetic she sounded. It was obvious all he cared about was the supposed betrayal he thought the two of them had inflicted on him. If he'd thought there was the slightest chance Nate would forgive Blair it was crushed by Nate's response to her soft _"Nate..."_  
_  
_"I mean, if there was a baby, it could have just as easily been his, right?" Nate snarled cruelly._  
_  
Chuck looked at the ground sadly. Nate was trying to sound harsh but his bitter tone was giving away what he really felt, betrayal. For the millionth time since he had kissed Blair, he wished he could have found a way to make it all ok with Nate first. Not that he really thought that option had ever existed.

He smiled slightly as he heard Blair's next words. "I didn't cheat on you, Nate," Blair reminded him once again. "We were broken up."

They had been broken up. Chuck was a jerk, he knew that, but he would have never gotten involved with Blair if she had still been with Nate.  
_  
_"For what, an hour?" Nate snapped angrily._  
_  
Chuck winced at the bite in Nate's voice. He knew it had been too soon, but she was irresistible that night and he couldn't have stopped himself from kissing her even if he'd tried. Still, the point they both kept trying to stress to Nate, was that they were, in fact, broken up.  
_  
_"I don't have to take this from you," Blair snapped. "You cheated on me with Serena."

"You're never getting over that are you?" Nate snapped.

Blair glared. "Why should I? You won't get over me and Chuck, you hypocrite!"

Chuck couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride as she stood up to him. Blair had spent too many years letting Nate Archibald walk all over her; and although both she and Chuck knew Nate would never stop walking over her, neither expected what Nate said next.  
_  
_Nate's eyes darkened. "I'd rather be a hypocrite than a whore."_  
_  
Chuck swallowed painfully. He knew Nate was mad but he had never thought he would speak to Blair like that. As proud as he was of her for standing up to him, he'd never been more full of pride than the moment he saw her hand reach out and slap Nate across the face, hard.

Chuck sighed. He was now content to leave her to her own devices. If she was slapping Nate, then she could certainly take care of herself. That was at least until he saw Nate grab her by the arm. Then before he even realized what he was doing, he began walking over to them. He may have resolved to stay away from her, but he wasn't about to let anyone put their hands on her.

He heard Nate tell her never to slap him again, and heard Blair swallow back a cry, in pain or in humiliation, he wasn't sure. He knew Nate saw him walking towards them and thought Nate would release her, but he didn't. The crowd that had been growing since Gossip Girl's text about the two girls was silent, no one wanting to come forward to help Blair, but everyone's eyes were glued to Nate, waiting to see what he'd do next.

"Let me go, Nate," Blair said her voice shaky, but still loud enough to sound commanding.

Nate looked over at Chuck who was now standing behind Blair. "Look, it's your boyfriend." Nate snapped at her before turning his attention back to Chuck. "What happened to staying away from Blair?" he asked angrily. When Chuck didn't respond, he let go of Blair's arm, forcefully causing her to fall back against Chuck.

Nate watched as Blair made no effort to move from Chuck's embrace and Chuck continued to simply stand there with Blair pressed against him. He felt a pull of jealousy he hadn't expected, but quickly let his emotions change to anger. _I started out the day determined to make Blair jealous and now I'm the jealous one, _he thought angrily to himself. Finally his last bit of hope for a difficult but inevitable reunion with Blair wavered. He knew there was no going back now and that no matter what he was done with Blair. "You know what? Just take her...I'm done with her!" he snarled at Chuck before reaching out for Jenny, who'd remained silent since Nate had shown up to fight her battle for her.

"Come on Jenny, let's go," he snapped before walking off with a smirking Jenny in tow.

Chuck's eyes never left the retreating pair until they were out of his line of sight. Suddenly, he remembered Blair, who was still leaning against him, thrown away from Nate and given solely to Chuck.

Chuck took a deep breath and relished in the feel of Blair against him for a moment before righting her. He wanted to turn her around and look her in the eyes, but he knew he couldn't do it. If he looked at her now, he'd never be able to get the sight of her this broken, the look he caused when he started this mess, out of his mind.

If he'd turned her around, he'd have seen that tears were streaming down her face and that she looked frightened. Instead he looked over her arm, quickly scanning it for any marks left behind. Finding none, but knowing that didn't mean they wouldn't be there later, he spoke the first words he'd spoken to her since he'd nearly sent her running for France. "Are you ok?"

Blair nodded, unsure that a voice was even capable of coming out of her mouth. She had never seen Nate so angry, and he had never grabbed her like that. She wished Chuck would look at her, hold her, anything to show her he still cared about her.

"Good," he said succinctly before backing away from her and heading in the direction Nate had gone in.

Blair let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She didn't understand what had just happened or how he could just say four words to her and then walk off like it never happened. Like he hadn't just shown up and saved her, not that she thought Nate would have gotten any rougher with her.

She wiped the tears from her face, furious that she'd broken her "no tears" pact and headed towards the school. She turned back around and faced the direction he left in, hating herself for looking back, just in time to see him meet up with Nate.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"Nathaniel!" Chuck called out no more than two minutes after leaving Blair standing on the Met steps crying. He was trying desperately to keep his anger in check.

Nate turned around angrily. "Why won't you take a hint? I'm done with you and Blair. I want nothing to more to do with you--a guy who's supposed to be my best friend, my brother, who turned around and slept with my girlfriend. And, I want nothing more to do with her--a girl who was supposed to be in love with me, someone who made me feel like crap for caring about her best friend, someone who turned around and slept with mine."

The tone in Nate's voice was final and Chuck nodded. He finally understood that nothing was ever going to be the same. "Don't worry, Nate. I got it this time," he snapped calmly.

"Although I suppose it does make sense, the two of you. I mean you're a whore and now so is _she_," Nate snapped venomously.

Chuck didn't think, he simply reacted, and before he knew it, his fist had connected with Nate's chin. He squinted his eyes in a menacing fashion and made eye contact with Nate. The bruise on Nate's chin was already starting to appear, and Jenny was frozen in shock.

"Pay attention Nate, because I'm not going to say this again. You can think what whatever you want, but you don't talk about her like that and don't you ever put your hands on her like that again," Chuck said coldly before breezing past him while Jenny helped him off the ground. He looked back up in the direction he'd left only to be met with Blair's shocked gaze. He nodded briefly at her and headed in the opposite direction.

**  
Spotted: Who doesn't love a little testosterone in the AM with their coffee? I know I do. Throw down outside the Met. C throwing a punch into N's jaw. Sources say he was protecting B. Who says chivalry's dead? Careful N, looks like C's picked a side after all and it's not your's. You know you love me…xoxo…Gossip Girl**


	6. I Didn't Have A Choice

Chapter Six: "I Didn't Have A Choice"

Chuck didn't know why he nodded at Blair after punching Nate. Perhaps it was his way of making sure she was still ok, or perhaps it was his way of making sure she knew he'd done it for her. Either way, once he threw the punch, he knew he needed to see Blair's reaction. If she appeared angry that he'd done it, he knew she would seek him out and make sure he knew it. However, if it had made her uncomfortable and appreciative, she would avoid him. He didn't know which he wanted more.

He took his time walking to class. He was nowhere near anxious to get there and be gawked at like a caged animal at the zoo. Especially once Gossip Girl sent out a mass text message, to it seemed like everyone in the Upper East Side, concerning the punch that could hardly be considered a "fight". He'd already noticed people watching him as he walked down the hall, their whispered voices following behind him. He entered his classroom leisurely in the most discreet manner he could pull off considering everyone was watching him. He immediately sought out Nate's desk, and was infinitely pleased that Nate was not occupying it.

Neither Chuck nor Nate had spoken about the first fight over Blair and now that there had been another fight over her, the classroom was buzzing. It was the only thing anyone could talk about. To most people, the idea that Blair would ever need protection from Nate was almost ridiculous; and up until this morning, he would have agreed. Despite Gossip Girl's claim, most assumed it was retribution for the previous fight. Everyone knew Chuck had been so busy trying to defend his actions with Blair after Nate had unceremoniously thrown him against that car that Chuck had never really had a chance to fight back. Others assumed that Nate had been trying to convince Blair to take him back and that Chuck wanted to make sure it didn't happen. The few who had been present were defending Chuck, claiming Nate had been so far out of line and that he had deserved it, most likely more.

A few of those people congratulated him, but Chuck didn't hear it. He was too lost in his own thoughts. He couldn't believe he hit Nate, his best friend, for as long as he could remember. It wasn't the first time he'd wanted to punch Nate in the face, but it was the first time he'd ever acted on it. Still, he knew exactly why he'd done it, and he still believed, without a shadow of doubt, that he'd had a valid reason.

Nate had no right to put his hands on Blair. She was scared and he was hurting her, and Chuck would have had to really be a jerk not to step in and protect her. He may still be angry with her, but he'd never forgive himself for just standing there and watching Nate physically hurt her. Especially since he'd spent years standing around and watching Nate emotionally hurt her. The fact that he'd always been there to put the pieces back together, wouldn't excuse it any longer. Nate had done far too much damage, and there was no way he was going to let him continue hurting her.

Still, he'd punched his best friend, for a girl he kept claiming to be done with. His mind was having a hard time reconciling with that fact.

He sighed and flexed his hand several times as it throbbed mercilessly. He didn't often hit people and never with the force he'd put behind this punch. He looked up as he heard the classroom door open and inwardly groaned when he saw Nate enter. He'd been hoping Nate had simply gone home, and he wouldn't have to see him again for the rest of the day, but it seemed that karma really was a bitch. He locked eyes with Nate briefly before looking back at his hand. However, he should have known that looking at his hand wasn't going to help him not hear the conversation taking place a few desks away.

"How's the jaw, Nate?" Chuck heard someone ask curiously.

Nate shrugged and looked at Chuck angrily. "It's not broken."

Chuck sighed in relief that Nate's jaw wasn't broken. He was worried that it would be considering how badly his own hand hurt. His head snapped back in their direction when he heard the guy, Matt, speak again.

"It was about time someone put that bitch in her place. She's been walking around here all year acting like she was so damn special. It was getting ridiculous." Matt said patting Nate on the back in a congratulatory manner.

Nate nodded. "Yeah, she's been jerking me around far too long."

Chuck glared at him and let out a huff of indignation. He couldn't believe that Nate had just said that. Nate had been the one jerking Blair around for years and for him to accuse her of doing it was ludicrous.

"Something to say?" Nate snapped snidely.

Chuck shook his head. "Not a word." He winced as his hand throbbed and suddenly he realized all the pain in his mangled hand was worth it. In fact, watching Nate accept another congratulatory slap on the back, he knew he'd do it again.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Blair was glued to her spot on the Met steps for what seemed like an eternity after Chuck walked away from her and then Nate. She knew Chuck was mad when he left her. She could tell by the tone of his voice when he said _Good_, but no matter how mad he sounded she never expected to him to walk over and punch Nate.

Gossip Girl's text had said he was protecting her, and she supposed that was why he had nodded up at her before walking away from Nate. She couldn't help wonder what Nate had said to Chuck once he was away from her that made him punch him. If he was protecting her, why hadn't he punched him as soon as he saw Nate grab her arm? Why did he wait until she was out of his sight?

She looked around and noticed people were passing by her quickly and glanced down at her watch, unsure of just how long she had really been standing on the Met steps. Her eyes widened when she realized that despite her desire to arrive early, she had less than five minutes to get to Constance Billiard before she was indeed late. She moved to pull her bag back over her shoulder but realized she wasn't even holding her bag. She looked down and spotted it lying next to her feet. _I must have dropped it when Nate grabbed me,_ she thought to herself before reaching down and picking it up.

Once she picked up her bag, she walked briskly towards the school, grateful it wasn't very far.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Serena thought her eyes had been playing tricks on her when she got the text from Gossip Girl. There was no way she could ever imagine Blair needing protection from Nate, but if Chuck had stepped in, then she knew it must be true. It was highly unlikely for Chuck, who had been avoiding Blair like she was the plague, would have insinuated himself between Blair and Nate again unless he thought it was necessary.

She tried to think of another reason Chuck would get involved, but turned down the old standbys. Chuck was too smart to be trying to alienate Nate even further by getting between Blair and Nate again just because his own feelings would be hurt. Chuck wouldn't be cruel enough to try and hurt Blair worse, not when it was so obvious to Serena that he actually did care about Blair. Also, Chuck would never intentionally hurt Nate again. So for Nate's sake, Serena hoped Chuck had a lapse of judgment and did something stupid, because if Gossip Girl was right and Blair did need protection from Nate, she was going to kill him herself.

Standing outside the door of what she knew to be Blair's first class, she waited impatiently for Blair to show up. She sighed and hoped that Blair hadn't decided to go home, now that she had finally come out of her penthouse. Serena tapped her watch and clicked her heels against the marbled floor noisily. Several people turned to look at her annoyed with the noise but she didn't care. The only thought on her mind was getting to Blair, if she ever showed up.

Serena looked down the hall and was grateful when Blair finally entered her line of sight. She pushed off the wall and headed purposefully towards her. "Blair!"

Blair acknowledged her but kept on walking. "Can't talk now S, I'm late for class."

Serena followed after her. "Why don't you ditch first period?"

Blair stopped moving once she was outside the door. "Why would I do that?"

Serena shot her a look of confusion. "For starters, there's the scene out in front of the Met..."

Blair shrugged. "Why should that send me home? I didn't punch anyone."

Serena sighed. She could tell by Blair's body language she was uncomfortable talking about what she had witnessed between Chuck and Nate this morning. "B. What happened? Why did Chuck punch Nate? Why was he protecting you?"

Blair shook her head as if the entire morning hadn't happened. "It's nothing, S…really, please go to class. We can talk at lunch."

Serena sighed. "If you think we're not going to talk at lunch, Blair..."

"I said we can talk at lunch, now the teacher has already seen me and I'm late. I need to go in, and you should get to your own class. You don't need another tardy." Blair said politely but anyone who knew her as well as Serena did could tell she was really exasperated, and Blair knew it.

Serena nodded. "Ok, as long as you're ok..."

"I'm fine," Blair reassured. "Like I said, I didn't punch anyone and I didn't get punched."

Serena nodded again and watched as B headed into class. Once the door was shut in her face, Serena turned to walk to her own class. While walking, she pulled out her phone and typed a text message to Dan. **D: Find out what really happened this morning. Ask C if you have to. Love you- S**Once she finished typing, she quickly hit send before closing her phone and heading into her own class.

"Miss Van der Woodsen, how nice of you to join us."

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Class dragged on longer than Serena would have liked. She was anxious to talk to Blair, but she was also anxious to talk to Jenny. Jenny had been shooting her worried glances all morning. Serena desperately wanted to know what happened that morning. Since Jenny and Blair were arguing that morning, it was a fair bet that Jenny knew exactly what happened between Blair, Nate, and Chuck.

Once the class was released Serena headed straight for Jenny. "Jenny!" Serena called out to stop Jenny from leaving the room.

Jenny smiled nervously. She should have known taking a junior class elective would come back to bite her in the end. "Yeah?"

"What happened this morning?"

"Don't you read Gossip Girl anymore, Serena? Chuck punched Nate."

Serena nodded. "Yes, but why?"

Jenny shrugged. "I don't know, maybe because he's a psycho! Who knows why Chuck Bass does the things he does?"

Serena sighed. It was obvious Jenny wasn't going to tell her the whole story. "Look, I know you're friends with Nate, and you know that Blair and Chuck hurt him, but you're new to this circle. Chuck would never just walk up and punch Nate for no reason. Chuck is crazy, yes, but he's not stupid. If he thought there was a single chance he could get Nate's friendship back, he would have never laid a hand on him."

Jenny shot Serena a look that clearly said she knew more than she was letting on and half-shrugged. "Maybe he finally realized that Nate wasn't going to forgive and forget."

Then with quick glance at her watch and an apologetic smile, she added, "I really have to go, I'm going to be late for English."

Serena stared in frustration as she watched Jenny quickly walk away before she could question her further. She should have known that Jenny would protect Nate. She hoped Dan had better luck with Chuck. She pulled out her phone and typed: **Any luck?  
**  
She didn't have to wait long before a reply came. **Chuck's not talking.**_  
_**  
Did you try and eavesdrop?**

**Nate grabbed Blair's arm. Chuck saw.  
**  
Serena looked at the text in shock and replied. **Nate grabbed B?!**  
**  
Seems like it, or at least that's what people are saying.  
**  
Serena's turned her glare in the direction Jenny had gone. _Makes sense now, why Jenny was protecting Nate_ she thought to herself. Sighing angrily she typed **Thanks, having lunch with B, I'll see you later**, and then turned off her phone. She had to talk to Blair.

Nate grabbed Blair's arm. Chuck saw.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Blair had successfully managed to avoid Serena and her prying questions all morning, although it had been harder to do once they were stuck in a classroom together. She had tuned Serena out and focused on her teachers. She'd missed a week a school, and she needed to get caught up or she'd never get into Yale; but once the lunch bell rang, she knew she was trapped.

She didn't know how she was supposed to answer Serena's questions about what happened earlier when she wasn't even sure she knew it herself. She didn't know how long Chuck had been standing there watching her and Nate. She didn't know what Nate had said to Chuck to make Chuck hit him, so she had no clue what she could tell Serena.

"Blair!" Serena called out.

Blair reluctantly stopped, but then let out a sigh of relief as the teacher called Serena back into the room. "I'll meet you in the usual spot," she said smiling at Serena, but not missing the obvious disappointment on her friend's face before she disappeared through the door frame.

Moments later, Blair walked out the main door of Constance Billiard and headed towards the Met. Once she was there, she climbed the steps and sat a few steps higher than usual. If she couldn't sit in her usual space she was going to sit above them, so she could continue to look down on them.

The glare she received from Penelope and Hazel would have bothered her if she'd been anyone other than Blair Waldorf. She smiled politely back, and put her bag down, making it clear she had no intention of going anywhere. Little Jenny and Hazel might think she didn't belong there but she was the original Queen B and she'd be damned before she let them dictate where she could sit.

Hazel immediately turned to Penelope, and Blair could hear snippets of the conversation the two of them were having. Every once in awhile, she'd hear the word "slut" or the phrase "hypocritical bitch" but all of that was disregarded as the quick realization that her arm actually hurt became evident to her.

Perhaps it had been the constant confusion or adrenalin flowing through her since the moment Nate grabbed her which had numbed it, but now it definitely hurt. She pushed up her sleeve slightly to examine the area Nate had grabbed. They were faint but Blair could slightly make out bruised imprints of Nate's fingers on her delicate skin.

Pushing the tears back that were threatening to spill over, she looked up from her arm and was surprised when she saw Chuck walking by. Ignoring every instinct she had that told her to stay put, she jumped up and followed after him, leaving her stuff on the steps. "Chuck." She said loudly gaining everyone's attention, including his.

Chuck stopped walking when he heard her voice. _Jury's back and the verdict is mad then_ he thought to himself before nervously turning to face her. "Blair."

She stood in awkward silence while she searched desperately for the words she wanted to say.

Chuck wanted to laugh. It was obvious she didn't even know why she had stopped him. He'd have continued enjoying her discomfort, if he hadn't noticed her shirt sleeve pushed up and seen the marks on her arm. He reached out for her arm gently, not caring that everyone was watching them. He was stunned when she didn't pull away. "I should have hit him harder." He mumbled just loud enough for her to hear him.

Blair nodded. "Probably."

Chuck let out a short laugh before stopping himself. "Does it hurt?" he asked concerned.

Blair shook her head. "It's sore, but it's nothing I can't handle," she said bravely, then paused and added softly, "Thank you." This last tone suddenly sounded much less confident than the former.

"For what?" Chuck asked.

"Stepping in when you did. Nate's never once given me the impression that he was capable of this. I mean, I know he threw _**you**_ up against that car, but I didn't think he'd ever hurt _**me**_."

Chuck sighed. He couldn't disagree with Blair on that. "I didn't think so either."

Blair nodded and the silence overlapped them again. Finally she asked what she'd wanted to ask since she saw it happen. "What did he say to you?"

"When?"

Blair shot him a look of aggravation. "You know when, Chuck, before you hit him. Why did you hit him?"

Chuck looked down at the ground. Blair didn't need to know the specifics. She didn't need to know that he called her a "whore" again. "Because he deserved it."

"But why?" Blair asked again, unable to let it go.

Chuck groaned. "Because he hurt you! He grabbed your arm and he scared you. What else would I have done?" he answered honestly. He'd followed Nate with the intent to make sure he regretted touching Blair.

Blair nodded. "So you _**were**_ protecting me?" she asked curiously.

Chuck sighed. "Of course I was protecting you. You think I'd just haul off and punch Nate for no reason?"

Blair stood perfectly still for a moment just looking at him, taking in everything he'd just said. _He'd been protecting her. He'd cared enough to step in and protect her. He hadn't wanted to see her hurt._ She smiled slightly. _She'd gotten what she wanted earlier. He'd done something to show her what she so desperately needed to know. He still cared. _"Thank you." She repeated before throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a hug.

Chuck let out a startled breath as he felt Blair's arms encircle and froze for a moment before reciprocating the hug whole heartedly. It had been too long since he'd held her in his arms; he'd almost forgotten how right it felt. Although he still felt the way he felt about being her last resort, he couldn't ignore how good it felt to be holding her. "I didn't have a choice," he whispered into her hair and added, "I couldn't just stand there and watch him hurt you." He found himself closing his eyes and burying his face in her fragrant, dark silken tresses. He wished it could have always been like this, and chastised himself for ever turning her away in the first place.

Blair smiled. She didn't know why she'd hugged him, but she didn't regret it. She hadn't anticipated how just allowing Chuck to hold her in his arms would allow all the tension she'd been feeling to melt away to nothing. Although, she knew she should have. She'd known she was missing him; she'd known he was on her mind, but she honestly never expected it to be like this. She felt truly alive for the first time all week, and she was reluctant to give it up. However, she knew it would have to end. They were still standing in a very public place and she knew, without a doubt, they'd be all over Gossip Girl before the end of the lunch period. Reluctantly, she pulled away and looked down at the ground sheepishly, unable to meet his eyes. A quick glance upwards in his direction proved he felt the same way. She cleared her throat softly. "Well, I should go, I'm supposed to meet Serena…"she trailed off.

Chuck nodded. "Yeah, and I should go, too…" he replied, even though they both knew he had nowhere to go.

Blair nodded and watched as he walked away, his back turned to her once again.

"Chuck!" she called out after him.

Chuck stopped but didn't turn.

"Thank you," she said again.

Chuck smiled to himself and said "Anytime," loud enough for her to hear him and then continued walking away. _Yes, punching Nate was definitely worth it.  
_  
Blair watched him go and smiled as she saw Jenny and Elise take her old place on the steps. She didn't even flinch as they shot her looks of disdain as she passed them to retrieve her bag. She didn't care if they'd seen her with Chuck. She didn't care that they were in her spot. She smiled as she saw Serena approaching and grabbed her bag. She walked confidently towards Serena. "Come on, S." she said once she reached her, "I don't want to sit here today."

Serena looked at Blair, confused by her good mood. "You ok, B?"

Blair smiled her first real smile in days. "Better than ok."  
**  
Spotted: Love in the afternoon? Is a reunion in the works? B and C looking cozy after a heart to heart in front of the Met. Looks like C really is going to get the girl this time. But then again when the girl is B, is it really a prize after all? You know you love me. xoxo. Gossip Girl**


	7. And Being An Attempted Rapist Is Any Bet

Title: Desire Defying Destiny (7/?)  
Author: Bex81385  
Rating: PG13  
Word Count: 3279  
Spoilers: Everything up to 1x13 "A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate"  
Summary: Chuck and Blair must deal with the ramifications of their actions in "A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate".

Chapter Seven: "And Being An Attempted Rapist Is Any Better?"

Neither Serena nor Blair could remember a time in which they'd actually eaten lunch in the school's cafeteria. In fact, there wasn't a single time in Serena's recollection where she and Blair had ever set foot in the building. The coveted steps in front of the Met had always belonged to Blair. She watched Blair shudder slightly as they sat down, lunch in hand, at an unoccupied table.

Despite Blair's obvious discomfort for the cafeteria, the smile on her face never wavered. Serena had been apprehensive of the smile before, especially since Blair was coming from Jenny's direction, but now she was concerned. She watched cautiously as Blair poked at her salad, still smiling. Serena would be kidding herself if she didn't admit that Blair's smile was actually starting to creep her out.

She'd spent the last three weeks watching Blair do nothing but sulk, and now on a day where she'd practically been assaulted by her ex, she was grinning like an idiot. Despite her desire to see Blair happy, Serena couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness that washed over her while Blair's smile continued to appear unfaltering. Finally she couldn't take it anymore; she had to know what happened. "What's with the smile?" she practically demanded.

Blair shook her head slightly as Serena's voice broke through her thoughts. She let the smile fall from her face quickly, no longer comfortable under Serena's scrutiny. "Nothing," she replied easily, while averting eye contact with Serena.

Serena groaned inwardly. _Sulky Blair is back, and it's my fault_ she thought to herself. "It's not nothing, Blair. It's definitely something. This morning you were scowling in the hallways and now, you're all smiles..." Serena said. Blair responded with a blank look on her face and before Serena could say anything else, her cell phone chirped alerting her of a text message.

She pulled her phone out and looked down at the message, her eyes widening as they took in the picture of Blair and Chuck in an embrace. One look at the picture and Serena knew it was from earlier. Blair's outfit was the same, and Chuck's scarf no longer looked familiar. There was a smile on Blair's face that mirrored the one she'd carelessly ridded her of only moments ago, and for the first time in a long time Blair just looked happy. "Is this because of Chuck?" she asked shocked. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen this coming. Of course this was about Chuck.

Blair froze for a moment. A deer in the headlights look passed over her face before she sighed in annoyance. "Why would you assume that? Can't I just be sick of feeling sorry for myself?" she asked icily. The nervous look on her face negated her calm words and she knew it.

Serena chuckled. "If it were anyone other than you then yes, that would be a possibility, but since you're Blair Waldorf, no," she said honestly. "And I'd assume Chuck had something to do with the reoccurring smile on your face, because according to Gossip Girl, the two of you were hugging..."

"She doesn't know what she's talking about," Blair snapped coolly before taking another bite of her salad.

Serena scoffed. "She has a picture, B."

Blair nearly choked on her salad before dropping her fork. She snatched the phone away from Serena and looked at the picture wordlessly. She shouldn't be surprised; she should have known this moment would end up on Gossip Girl. "Of course she does, because no one in the Upper East Side can just mind their own business," she snarled angrily before throwing the phone back to Serena.

Serena looked down at the picture again, and instantly felt bad for ever opening her mouth. Blair had been happy and she'd ruined it for her. "Blair..." she said apologetically.

Blair shook her head quickly. "Seriously Serena, it was nothing, ok. It was just a hug."

Serena wanted to laugh, but suppressed it. It was obvious from the picture that a hug between Chuck and Blair was never just a hug. Instead she settled for staring at Blair in disbelief. "How can you say it was nothing, B? The two of you haven't spoken in three weeks."

"I know that."

"Just yesterday you were complaining because he wouldn't even stay in the same room as you."

"I know..." Blair insisted.

"Now, you're having heart to hearts in front of the Met, and he's punching out Nate..."

"Nate deserved that. The jerk had it coming," Blair said defensively, a deep scowl now present on her face

"That's another thing! What in the hell happened with Nate?" Serena demanded. She hadn't forgotten that they were supposed to have that conversation.

Blair frowned. "It's all Jenny's fault. She picked a fight with me."

"_She_ picked a fight with _you_?" Serena asked sarcastically.

Blair shrugged nonchalantly. "Ok fine, we mutually picked a fight with each other. She called me a whore."

Serena sighed sadly. She used to think Jenny held so much promise; that she was different from the rest of the social climbing leaches who tended to stick to their group, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Then she brought up my pregnancy scare..." Blair said furiously stabbing at her salad.

"She what?" Serena snapped angrily. She knew Jenny had been scrounging the bottom of the barrel to insult Blair but she hadn't expected Jenny to bring up the pregnancy scare.

Blair nodded. "That little brat actually had the nerve to ask me if I'd have actually known if the baby was Nate's or Chuck's."

Serena repressed the _Well, would you?, _that immediately came to mind. "Then what happened?" she said instead.

"I _might_ have defended Chuck and then Nate showed up and got in the middle of it..."

Serena held up a hand to stop her."Wait..."

"What?"

"You _might_ have defended Chuck?" Serena said curiously.

Blair mentally cursed at herself for mentioning that. If she kept bringing up Chuck, Serena would never let it go. She looked down at her salad guiltily for a moment before realizing she had nothing to feel guilty about. Jenny had been horrible, and even though Serena had no real love for Chuck, Blair knew she would have defended Chuck, too, if she'd heard the way Jenny spoke about him. Serena was loyal to their group, and their group included Chuck. "She called him a date rapist."

Serena sighed. "Can you blame her?" she asked before she lost her nerve.

Blair's head shot up immediately, her eyes locking on Serena's coldly. Apparently she'd been wrong about Serena's loyalty. "Excuse me?"

The cold look in Blair's eyes made Serena shiver slightly. _Note to self: insulting Chuck in front of Blair, not smart. _"I just... I mean, he did try to rape her..." _Not to __mention he tried to force himself on me as well, _she thought.

"But he didn't do it, so therefore he isn't a rapist." Blair pointed out.

"And being an attempted rapist is any better?" Serena scoffed.

Blair shot Serena an angry glare. "Why are we having this conversation again?"

Serena sighed. She knew this line of conversation wasn't going to get them anywhere and would only lead to another public screaming match between Blair and herself. She'd already learned over the weekend that Blair would defend Chuck no matter what. "Fine... so Nate got involved?" she prompted in an attempt to change the subject.

Blair smiled lightly, pleased that Serena had changed the subject back to Nate. "Right, and we argued. I called him a hypocrite..."

"Which he is..." Serena pointed out dutifully.

"Thank you!" Blair exclaimed, "He's such a hypocrite. I mean we weren't even dating when I was with Chuck," she said defensively.

"Right." Serena said thankful that Blair hadn't mentioned her previous liaison with Nate as a reference, even though she knew it was implied.

One look at Serena and Blair knew she had understood the unspoken statement. "So I called him a hypocrite, and he called me a whore. So, naturally, I slapped him."

Serena laughed. "Naturally." She couldn't fault Blair for slapping Nate, considering she knew she'd have done the same.

"Then for some insane reason Nate decided to grab my arm."

Serena's eyes widened in surprise, even though she'd already known that. The entire school was talking about Nate grabbing Blair, but for some reason, hearing Blair talk about it, it felt different. It seemed more scandalous, and even more out of line. She'd assumed that the incident had been over exaggerated but now as she looked over at Blair's arm, noting the dark bruise that had already formed she realized it hadn't been. "Does it hurt?"

Blair shook her head. "Not so much right now."

"So then what happened?" Serena asked curiously.

"So, Chuck walks up and Nate's all 'Look Blair, it's your boyfriend'. Then he literally throws me at Chuck, who grabs me so I don't fall. Nate then snaps at Chuck, telling him that he can keep me, because Nate's done with me."

Serena sighed again. She knew that despite the anger, there was a thick undercurrent of sadness coursing through Blair, at the loss of Nate. "Nate is such a drama queen."

Blair nodded. "Anyway, I'm not really clear on what happened after Nate left and Chuck followed. Nate must have said something to really piss him off because the next thing I know, Chuck is punching Nate, and Nate's on the ground with Jenny scrambling around him."

Serena leaned her head into her hands and gently massaged her temples in a relaxing manner. "This is just such a mess. Everything would be fine if Nate had just never found out it was Chuck."

"Everything would have been fine if you'd just kept your mouth shut to begin with." Blair said bitterly. "I mean, I appreciate the whole devoted to me thing you're doing here, but if you had never went to Chuck in the first place..."

Clearly Blair had moved past blaming herself for this whole thing."So you're saying this is my fault?"

Blair nodded. "Yes," she said shortly, even though she wasn't sure she meant it.

"I thought you were pregnant and you weren't dealing," Serena said defensively.

"That's all well and good but you still set this whole thing in motion," she snapped. She looked at Serena's hurt expression and sighed. She knew they were both feeling the same level of frustration. From the beginning it had been the four of them against the world and now it felt like they were all split apart. It didn't seem right that their entire world could be wrecked by one reckless night in the back of a limo. _But it wasn't just one night, _Blair thought to herself, _I let myself care about him, I let myself fall for Chuck._ "I mean, it's not all your fault. I had a big hand in this. I should have never got involved with Chuck." she admitted sadly.

Serena shook her head. "Blair..."

"I started this thing with Chuck, without any concern for what it would do to our group if Nate found out."

Serena looked at her morosely. "B, you were following your heart."

Blair rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Please S, I was not following my heart."

Serena picked her phone up again and reopened her last text message. She moved her chair closer to Blair and handed her the phone. She pointed at the picture, more specifically at Blair. "You see that girl?"

Blair gave Serena a scowl. "Of course I see _me._" she said sarcastically.

"That is the happiest I've seen you since before the debutante ball."

Blair rolled her eyes again. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, it is not."

Serena nodded emphatically. "Yes, it is. Even when you'd gotten back together with Nate afterwards, your eyes never held the same shine. I ignored it, because eww, it's Chuck, but it's true. You love Nate, but I don't think it's in the same way you used to."

Blair shook her head. "You don't know what you're talking about. You can't possibly be insinuating that Chuck made me happier than Nate. I've never loved anyone the way I loved Nate."

Serena took a deep breath. "At the risk of making you even more angry, B, you haven't looked at Nate the same way since you found out about me and him."

Blair looked at Serena for a long moment before dropping Serena's phone back onto the table and standing up.

"Where are you going?" Serena asked quickly.

"Away from you," she snapped before turning and walking towards the cafeteria exit. She wasn't ready to face the truth in Serena's words. She wasn't ready to admit that Serena was right.

"Blair, stop walking away from this!" Serena yelled after her. When Blair didn't stop at all, and still continued to leave the cafeteria, Serena sighed and dropped her head onto the table in defeat.

xxxxxx

After the scene with Blair, Chuck decided he'd had enough of school, and went home for the day. Despite leaving school, he found it impossible to get away from thoughts of Blair and Nate. Then he'd gotten the text from Gossip Girl, alerting the entire Upper East Side to his private moment with Blair.

He wasn't sure what pissed him off more, the fact that his privacy had been invaded once again by gossip mongers, or that Gossip Girl had insinuated he'd have a reason to be embarrassed to be seen with Blair. Considering he knew out the two of them, he was definitely the more embarrassing one; the very idea that he'd be ashamed to be seen with her was ludicrous. He rolled his eyes and threw his phone onto his dresser.

Now in the quiet of his room, he could allow himself to really think about the moment he'd shared with Blair. He tried not to let the fact that she had initiated the whole thing trick him into believing that anything had changed. She was still beyond angry at him for opening his mouth to Gossip Girl. She was still furious at him for costing her all her friends, and for destroying her relationship with Nate. When she'd approached him, she'd simply been grateful and Chuck knew that.

Still, he had a hard time rationalizing the way she was looking at him, and even more so, the hug she'd pulled him into.

When he heard a door shut within the suite, he sat up and moved to leave the room. He was surprised when he entered the main sitting room and found Serena. "Shouldn't you be at school?"

Serena smiled lightly. "Shouldn't you?"

"Touche," he said smiling at her as well, before plopping down onto the couch. "So, why are you home?"

Serena reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Once again she entered her inbox and opened the picture from Gossip Girl. "This." she said before handing it to Chuck.

Chuck looked at the picture again and sighed. "So, you've come home to yell at me or something, because she initiated it and..."

"I'm not here to yell at you, stupid." she interrupted, "I'm here to tell you, that if you want her back, you need to do something about it."

Chuck gaped at her. "What?" He hadn't expected that.

Serena sighed before dropping onto the couch next to him. "Look, it's obvious you care about her, and it's obvious she cares about you. She's going to be all "Blair" and be stubborn about it, but the fact remains that the two of you look happier than I've ever seen either of you in that picture."

"She was just grateful..." Chuck said anxiously. Serena was making it extremely hard to not think about the idea of him and Blair.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Blair doesn't do grateful and you know it," she said before taking her phone back and standing up. "Just think about it, and then do something about it. I'm tired of seeing her mope around."

"And you think I'm the solution?" Chuck asked somewhat shocked.

Serena fixed him with a glare. "Yeah, I really do." she admitted before leaving the suite once more.

Chuck stared blankly at the door. Serena had given him the green light to pursue Blair once more. Chuck sighed and went back in his room to grab his phone. He needed to get out of the suite before he did something stupid like take Serena's idea seriously.

xxxxxx

By the end of the day Dan had learned more than he ever needed to know about organic chemistry, that Serena had left school early to talk to Chuck, and that Nate was seriously angry about Blair and Chuck hugging at lunch. It was obvious to Dan that Nate was not pleased by the idea of Blair and Chuck solving their problems with one another. Despite the fact that Nate had claimed to be done with Blair, Dan didn't really think he would be going away that easily.

That realization alone made Dan more than apprehensive about Nate and Jenny's newfound friendship. He hated being right, and he knew that Nate was going to inevitably crush Jenny. He wished that Jenny would believe him when he said it. After hearing the entire story from Serena about what happened earlier in the morning, and hearing Nate call Blair a bitch yet again, Dan was more than ready to confront Nate and Jenny. Jenny for her harsh treatment of Blair, and Nate because he put his hands on her. He wasn't Blair Waldorf's biggest fan, but Nate had no right to manhandle her.

"Nate!" Dan called out after the final bell rang, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Nate paused and turned. Looking at Dan, he could tell he wasn't happy and Nate considered just walking away, but he knew Dan would just follow him. "What do you need?"

Dan was shocked Nate had agreed in the first place so it took him a moment to remember what it was he was going to say. "What's going on with you and my sister?"

Nate sighed. "Nothing. We're friends."

"You're using her to make Blair jealous."

Nate rolled his eyes. "I don't need Jenny to make Blair jealous. I broke up with Blair, not the other way around. The mere fact that Blair still wants me back makes using anyone, let alone Jenny, to make Blair jealous unnecessary.

Dan nodded. "Are you sure she still wants you? I mean, after you assaulted her?"

"I grabbed her arm," he said defensively. "That whole thing has been blown out of proportion."

"Maybe so, but still according to that picture on Gossip Girl, she's only interested in getting Chuck back," he snapped.

Nate's gaze turned icy and he glared at Dan angrily. "Like I told Blair, I'm done with her. What she does with Chuck is her own business."

Dan nodded and took a step closer to Nate, fixing him with an intimidating stare. "You're absolutely right, so keep your hands off of her." He said with a menacing tone before turning to leave. He stopped before he got to the door and threw in one last threat. "And stay away from sister."

xxxxxx

**Spotted: Our very own Not So Lonely Boy threatening N away from B and Little J. Watch out N, Brooklyn** **probably picked up some moves on the streets. Then again, maybe it's D who should be watching his back. We hear Little J is quite vicious, just ask B. You know you love me. XOXO. Gossip Girl**


End file.
